10.29.25 - Why cutting off SNAP is a choice
Today, we’ll continue our focus on the government shutdown that just entered its fifth week. So far, a lot of our shutdown coverage has concerned congressional Democrats’ efforts to tackle health insurance costs, since upwards of 20 million Americans will see their insurance premiums more than double next year, on average. Republicans in Congress have refused to address this looming catastrophe—see our September 30 update for more background on this problem and how it relates to the ongoing shutdown.
But health care premiums aren’t the only costs skyrocketing because of the GOP: grocery bills for more than 40 million Americans are about to go up, too. I’ll get into why below.
Why SNAP is at risk…
On October 16, the Agriculture Secretary claimed that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, often referred to as food stamps) lacked sufficient funding to cover Americans’ November SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown, jeopardizing food access for 40 million Americans who use that assistance to afford groceries.
What the Secretary did not say is that the Trump administration has the power and the money to deal with that shortfall and ensure families can afford the food they need.
…but doesn’t have to be at risk
A SNAP contingency fund contains most of the money needed to cover November SNAP benefits. Despite the Trump administration’s claims that it cannot tap this money, the contingency fund exists for situations just like this one, and the administration is obligated by law to use it. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, affirmed, “the contingency funding that we set aside for SNAP is not optional spending. It is required by the law. We appropriated that money for this purpose.”
This is not a novel legal theory: the Trump administration’s own plan for the ongoing government shutdown highlighted the contingency fund’s availability to cover SNAP benefits if needed. That plan, dated September 30, 2025, has since been removed from the Agriculture Department’s website. Yesterday, 25 state attorneys general sued to force the administration to tap the reserve fund.
On top of all this, the administration has the authority to transfer extra money to supplement that contingency fund if necessary. The administration has found a way to cover its priority programs during the shutdown, indicating its willingness to move money around to avoid some government functions coming to a standstill.
Bottom line: the Trump administration has the money and authority needed to preserve Americans’ November SNAP benefits. It is choosing to cut families off from food instead.
As a reminder, this decision comes just months after Republicans in Congress passed massive SNAP cuts in their budget law: you can read more about those cuts and their expected impacts here.
If you want to dig further into the details on how the administration can preserve SNAP benefits next month, I encourage you to check out helpful explainers from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Center for American Progress.
What will happen if SNAP is cut off
About 42 million, or 1-in-8, Americans use SNAP to afford their groceries. Most of this assistance goes to families with kids. Should the administration maintain its decision to cut off SNAP benefits next month, the country could see “the greatest hunger crisis since the Great Depression.”
When Americans will actually fail to receive their November benefits will vary, as states provide those benefits on a rolling basis. Impacts may also differ by state, as some states have announced plans to aid families who will lose SNAP assistance—though states cannot cover the entire shortfall.
NBC News summarized states’ current plans to deal with the SNAP emergency here.
We’ll continue to provide updates on the shutdown, its impacts, and big moments to watch as it continues.
If you’d like a live update for your group or coalition, reach out to catherine@webuildprogress.org. Thanks!