Key Points and Summary – The U.S. government shutdown, now over three weeks long, is set to halt November SNAP benefits for millions of Americans in at least 25 states. The Trump administration has informed states it will not release the federal funds for the food stamp program, which serves 42 million people.
-This has triggered a fierce political blame game, with Democratic governors in states like New York and Pennsylvania posting website banners that blame “Republicans in Washington” for the cutoff.
-As 16 million children and 8 million seniors face the loss of benefits, Democratic lawmakers are urging the USDA to use a “contingency reserve,” but the Agriculture Secretary says it’s not possible without the government reopening.
SNAP or Food Stamps Program in Trouble
The government shutdown has now been going on for more than three weeks and shows little sign of resolution anytime soon. Not only has it resulted in federal workers not being paid and making it harder to visit national parks, but it now stands to affect many other people as well.
Per the New York Post, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) beneficiaries in several states are being warned that they will not receive their benefits, starting next week, with some using language blaming Republicans in Congress for the potential disruption.
According to NPR, about 1 in 8 Americans receives an average of $187 in SNAP benefits.
“The Trump administration has indicated to New York that it will not allow states to distribute federal funding for SNAP recipients,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. Hochul’s office added that such a disruption could affect nearly 3 million New Yorkers.
Other states that have issued warnings are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Texas, Illinois, and California. All except Texas have Democratic governors.
New Jersey officials said that they were “notified by the federal government that if the shutdown continues, November 2025 SNAP benefits may not be available on time,” the post said.
The SNAP program, the report said, is funded by the Department of Agriculture. Serving 42 million people nationwide, SNAP is administered by state governments.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said this week that Donald Trump is “the first president in U.S. history to cut off SNAP benefits to people in America.” Previous shutdowns have not resulted in this type of widespread benefit cuts.
Half the States in the Country Have SNAP or Food Stamps Problems
Per Politico, at least 25 states, which consist of half the states in the country, are planning to cut off SNAP payments in November, in the absence of a deal to end the shutdown. “Millions” of Americans would have their benefits affected.
“Twenty-five states told POLITICO that they are issuing notices informing participants of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — the nation’s largest anti-hunger initiative — that they won’t receive checks next month,” the Politico report said. “Those states include California, Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi, and New Jersey. Others didn’t respond to requests for comment in time for publication.”
Blaming the Other Party
Some Democratic-controlled states, per Axios, have borrowed the Trump Administration’s tactic of using banners on official government websites to make partisan political statements.
“The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government,” HUD’s website says, while the websites of various federal government departments and agencies, including the White House, State Department, and Small Business Administration, have added messages blaming the Democrats for the shutdown and its various effects. Now, Democrats have begun using a similar tactic.
On some occasions, this has been related to the upcoming cessation of SNAP benefits.
“Because Republicans in Washington, D.C., failed to pass a federal budget, causing the federal government shutdown, November 2025 SNAP benefits cannot be paid,” the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ website now says.
“Starting October 16, SNAP benefits will not be paid until the federal government shutdown ends and funds are released to PA. We will notify SNAP recipients when payments can resume, and we will let you know when to expect SNAP payments.”
The Illinois Application for Benefits Eligibility posted something similar.
“Federal officials with the Trump Administration have told all states that if the Republican federal government shutdown continues, it won’t pay for SNAP (food stamp) benefits in November,” the Illinois website said. “As a result, SNAP customers will not receive November food benefits — unless there is further action from the Trump administration to reopen the government.”
How It Could End
Could the government find a way to continue the SNAP benefits without an overall deal to end the shutdown? Per Politico, they would need to “find” $8 billion to do so.
“We just can’t do it without the government being open,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told NewsNation in an interview earlier this week. “By Nov. 1, we are very hopeful this government reopens and we can begin moving that money out. But right now, half the states are shut down on SNAP.” In the same interview, Rollins announced a plan to release $3 billion in aid to farmers.
On Friday, a group of Democratic members of Congress wrote a letter to Rollins, urging the Agriculture Secretary to use the Department’s “ contingency reserve” of extra funds to continue the SNAP benefits for November.
The letter states that of the 42 million SNAP benefit recipients, included are “16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans.”
The letter comes from a couple of dozen Democrats in the House, led by Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT), who is the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture; Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), who is the ranking member of the Committee on Agriculture, and House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
“We urge USDA to use these funds for November SNAP benefits and issue clear guidance to states on how to navigate benefit issuance. Additionally, while the contingency reserve will not cover November benefits in full, we urge USDA to use its statutory transfer authority or any other legal authority at its disposal to supplement these dollars and fully fund November benefits,” the members of Congress write.
Per Politico, even if a deal is reached to end the shutdown or otherwise provide benefits, it won’t mean the benefits are restored automatically, as “anti-hunger advocates and states expect a delay between the government reopening and state administrators being able to issue November’s benefits, after weeks of holding up the typical process.”
In the meantime, per NBC News, some state agencies have encouraged SNAP beneficiaries to buy “shelf-stable food” or visit food banks.
“If you have accrued SNAP benefits from previous months on your account, use those funds now to buy shelf-stable foods that can last through November and beyond,” the Arkansas Department of Human Services says on its website, as noted by NBC. However, food banks have said that they’re not equipped to meet that type of demand.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
