The U.S. Department of Agriculture will not use its $6 billion contingency fund to cover food stamp benefits in November if the government shutdown continues, according to an agency memo. The decision means approximately 42 million Americans will not receive critical food assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) unless the department reverses its position.
When asked about the situation, President Donald Trump offered a conflicting message, telling reporters, “Everybody is going to be in good shape, yep,” but did not provide specific details.
The President’s assurance appears to contradict the USDA memo, which stated that the contingency reserve is “not legally available to cover regular benefits.” The memo clarifies that these funds can only supplement regular monthly benefits when an appropriation has been made but is insufficient. Because the shutdown has lapsed the regular appropriation, the USDA argues the contingency fund cannot be used. The memo, first reported by Axios, also noted that states will not be reimbursed if they use their own money to pay for benefits.
The potential loss of this critical safety net intensifies pressure on Congress to resolve the federal shutdown, which began on October 1. The impasse is centered on a federal spending package, with Democrats refusing to support a short-term bill unless it extends enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. Republican lawmakers have blamed Democrats for the stalemate, with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stating last week that food stamp funding would be depleted by the end of the month.
Earlier this month, the agency instructed states to withhold November payments until further notice, citing insufficient funds.
However, Democratic lawmakers and SNAP advocates contend that the USDA is legally obligated to use its contingency fund to pay November’s benefits, estimated to cost about $8 billion. They urge the administration to find a solution, as it has for other priorities like military pay.
“Secretary Rollins’ claim that the Trump Administration is unable to deliver November SNAP benefits during a shutdown is unequivocally false,” said Sharon Parrott, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and a former Office of Management and Budget official. “In fact, the Administration is legally required to use contingency reserves—billions of dollars that Congress provided for use when SNAP funding is inadequate that remain available during the shutdown.”
A previously available version of the USDA’s shutdown plan, since taken offline, noted that “Congressional intent is evident that SNAP’s operations should continue” and referenced using the contingency fund if a funding lapse occurs mid-fiscal year.
SNAP, which provides an average monthly benefit of $188 per person, assists roughly one in eight Americans. It is the second major nutrition program threatened by the shutdown. The WIC program, which serves nearly 7 million women and young children, was recently sustained after the administration shifted $300 million in tariff revenue to keep it operating through October.
This is not the first time SNAP benefits have been at risk. During the record-long shutdown in late 2018, the USDA found a provision to cover payments for the following month, though the measure was ultimately unnecessary as the shutdown ended.
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