The Trump administration is rejecting calls to use roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep food assistance flowing into November amid the ongoing government shutdown, according to a Department of Agriculture memo obtained by The Associated Press. The decision raises fresh concerns that millions of Americans could lose access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits if the shutdown continues into next month.
The two-page document states that the contingency funds “are not legally available to cover regular benefits,” arguing the money is reserved for emergencies such as natural disasters. It cites Tropical Storm Melissa—forecast to strengthen into a major hurricane—as an example of why those funds must remain available for rapid disaster response.
The memo effectively rules out using the emergency funds to continue the nation’s largest food aid program, which helps roughly one in eight Americans buy groceries. Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups have urged the administration to tap the reserve fund to ensure that families can afford food during the shutdown, which began Oct. 1.
The document blames Democrats for the federal closure, now among the longest in U.S. history, and says that November SNAP benefits would have been paid on time “if not for Congressional Democrats blocking government funding.” The administration has previously used emergency budget maneuvers to keep SNAP payments going through October, but it is unclear whether officials can again shift funds to cover the next round of payments.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Friday that the administration’s refusal to extend the benefits shows a lack of concern for struggling families. “The administration has the resources to ensure that not a single American goes hungry on Nov. 1,” Jeffries told reporters. “Republicans are trying to weaponize hunger, and that is unconscionable.”
More than 200 Democratic lawmakers sent a letter Friday to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins urging her to use the contingency fund to continue the program. “Choosing not to ensure SNAP benefits reach those in need this November would be a gross dereliction of your responsibilities to the American people,” the lawmakers wrote.
The new guidance appears to conflict with the department’s 55-page plan for operations during a shutdown. That earlier plan said Congress has long intended for SNAP to continue operating even when funding lapses, given that the program’s contingency funds were designed to sustain both administrative costs and participant benefits in such situations.
However, the memo released Friday takes a stricter stance, asserting that the contingency fund cannot be used for the current budget year’s benefits because “the appropriations for regular benefits no longer exist.”
Several states, including Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia, have pledged to temporarily cover food aid costs using their own resources, though they will not be reimbursed by the federal government. Other states have said they are exploring options but face logistical and budgetary hurdles.
Some state agencies have begun warning SNAP recipients to prepare for potential benefit disruptions. In Arkansas, for instance, officials have advised residents to identify local food pantries or community programs that could provide assistance if federal benefits stop.
The SNAP funding dispute underscores the growing human toll of the shutdown, now stretching into its fourth week, as political leaders remain deadlocked over government spending and health care funding priorities. For millions of Americans who rely on food assistance, November could bring a lapse in benefits unless Congress and the White House reach a deal soon.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
