John,

As of today, 40 million people will not receive SNAP benefits from the federal government this month. That includes 16 million children, 8 million older adults, and 4 million people with disabilities who will be without nutritional assistance. It’s completely unconscionable and unnecessary.

The excuses being made about why this administration can’t fund SNAP through November ring hollow when you remember that Congress just gutted SNAP to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and big businesses.¹ It also rings hollow given the first Trump administration funded SNAP during the 2018-2019 shutdown.² It also ignores that the government is legally required to fund SNAP. The administration is expected to challenge court ruling(s) ordering them to release SNAP’s contingency funds³, prioritizing hardship for millions while denying food for hungry children and families by refusing to negotiate a bipartisan deal to end the shutdown.

Sharon Parrott, the executive director of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities and a former official in the Office of Management and Budget, said:⁴

“Speaking as a former OMB official, I know from experience that the federal government has the authority and the tools it needs during a shutdown to get these SNAP funds to families. Even at this late date, the professionals at the Department of Agriculture and in states can make this happen. And, to state the obvious, benefits that are a couple of days delayed are far more help to families than going without any help at all.”

Governors across the country must stand together and demand that the Trump administration release the more than $5 billion in SNAP contingency reserves as legally required, transfer additional funds as needed, and fully fund SNAP for November.

Send a message to your governor urging them to stand up to Trump, stand up for their vulnerable residents, and demand SNAP funding now.

SNAP provides much more than just food assistance: It is a critical support system that promotes economic well-being and better health outcomes. The program plays a vital role in addressing hunger, reducing health care costs, and improving the long-term prospects of households with low incomes.

Not funding SNAP not only increases food insecurity but also shifts costs to local governments and charities, which cannot fully meet the need. For example, while emergency food programs help, they provide only one meal for every nine that SNAP provides.⁵ The lack of funding further strains food banks, food retailers, and those serving vulnerable populations. And as I told multiple Congressional staff this week, the idea of families going to the grocery store this weekend and discovering at checkout they can’t feed their kids is haunting me right now.

Send a message to your governor urging them to lead the way and demand the Trump administration follow the law, release the $5 billion in SNAP contingency reserves, and transfer additional funds to cover SNAP benefits now.

Thank you for all you do,

Meredith Dodson
Senior Director of Public Policy, CHN Action

¹ By the Numbers: Harmful Republican Megabill Takes Food Assistance Away From Millions of People
² Political Will and Administrative Priorities - Food Research & Action Center
³ Court Rules Trump Administration Must Pay SNAP Benefits During Shutdown
⁴ Trump Administration Is Legally Required to Provide SNAP in Shutdown, Contrary to Its Claims
⁵ The charitable sector can’t solve hunger alone.

-- DEBORAH'S EMAIL --

John,

Starting tomorrow, more than 40 million people will go without their monthly SNAP allotment. It doesn’t have to be this way.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)―the agency responsible for SNAP―has $5 billion in a contingency reserve it is legally obliged to use to provide SNAP benefits¹, and the Trump administration is refusing to release the funds.² Just this afternoon, a judge ordered the Trump administration to release SNAP’s contingency funds³―but instead of following this ruling, most expect the administration to continue to fight tooth and nail, appealing the court cases and choosing to deny food for hungry children and families rather than negotiate a bipartisan deal to end the shutdown.

While the cost of fully funding SNAP benefits in November is about $8 billion, the USDA has ample resources to transfer enough funds to cover the full cost of benefits. 16 million children, 8 million older adults, and 4 million people with disabilities will be among the millions who will go without enough food⁴. This moment calls for action, and in addition to pressuring Congress⁵ and the administration⁶, it’s up to governors to speak up now.

Send a message to your governor telling them to stand up to the Trump administration and demand the release of SNAP reserve funds.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued the following statement:⁷

“Donald Trump is the only President in the history of the United States to cut off SNAP benefits from the American people. He is forcing millions of people―children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities―into hunger, raising costs and hurting local farmers and businesses. He is choosing to do this. President Trump needs to reverse this decision and restore SNAP benefits.”

We need other governors to take Gov. Healey’s lead and demand the Trump administration release SNAP funding now.

Some governors are trying to fill the gaps and using state funds to ration SNAP benefits or help local food banks, and service providers are overwhelmed as federal workers miss paychecks.

The Trump administration has shown that it is willing to let vulnerable people go without health care and food. It has refused to call on Congress to extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits that will expire in December, and supported cutting Medicaid and Medicare by more than $1 trillion in the Big Ugly Bill.⁸ That same bill also cut $187 billion from SNAP, the largest cuts to nutrition assistance in history.⁹

And now, the Trump administration is refusing to pay SNAP benefits in November, despite the legal requirement that a contingency reserve be used to cover benefits. While the reserve will not cover the full amount, the rest can be paid by transferring other readily available funds. During the 2018-2019 shutdown in Trump’s first term, SNAP benefits were still paid out. What is happening now is a deliberate and lawless choice to make tens of millions go hungry in an attempt to win political points. It’s cruel and it’s immoral. And it must be stopped.

Send a message to your governor urging them to demand that the USDA release SNAP reserves and other funds now so that November benefits can be paid.

Thank you for all you do,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, CHN Action

¹ The Administration’s Shutdown of SNAP is Obviously Illegal-Updated
² Trump administration says it won't tap emergency funds to pay food aid
³ Court Rules Trump Administration Must Pay SNAP Benefits During Shutdown
⁴ The Trump Administration Can and Should Take Available Steps to Ensure SNAP Participants Get November Food Benefits
⁵ Congress must stand up for families that participate in SNAP
⁶ Tell Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins: Release SNAP reserves for November
⁷ Governor Healey Calls on President Trump to Continue SNAP Benefits
⁸ Medicaid Cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Leave 3 in 10 Young Adults Vulnerable to Losing Health Care Access
⁹ By the Numbers: Harmful Republican Megabill Takes Food Assistance Away From Millions of People