‘The Well Has Run Dry’: States Scramble to Find Funding Solutions for SNAP

Federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is on the brink of running out as the government shutdown continues, leaving states scrambling to put together a patchwork of solutions.

The program, which provides aid for nearly 42 million people across the country, won’t see its usual influx of cash on Nov. 1. This would affect families’ abilities to get food on their tables, regardless of whether they live in a blue or red state, ratcheting up pressure on Congress to find an end to the funding stalemate.

“If 42 million Americans go hungry, it won’t be because of what the White House did, it was because we didn’t pass the budget,” Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri who introduced a bill to continue funding SNAP throughout the government shutdown, told reporters Monday.

The Department of Agriculture informed states earlier this month that November SNAP benefits would not be paid if the shutdown continued. State officials and advocates urged the Trump administration to tap into contingency funds, but a USDA memo reported by Axios on Friday said the administration would not do so.

Now states are looking for other ways to make sure their residents who depend on SNAP are fed.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, announced Monday that his attorney general and administration officials are exploring a multi-state lawsuit aimed at releasing contingency funding to support the program. Dozens of Democratic attorneys general and governors are also among those considering legal action, according to Politico.

“In the absence of the federal government acting to ensure that millions of vulnerable Americans have access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits they desperately need, states, including Vermont, are contemplating possible steps to support these vulnerable households and their families,” Scott said in a release where he noted the “bipartisan support for a lawsuit.”

Governors and state legislatures are also looking for other workarounds outside of the courts. In Louisiana, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency, and the state Legislature authorized up to $150 million a month for the state’s health department to address the suspension of SNAP.

“I have been in discussions with other governors across the nation, as well as with our legislative leadership. I am making it a top priority to ensure that seniors, individuals with disabilities, and children who rely on food stamps do not go hungry in Louisiana,” Landry said in a statement. “Democrats’ political games need to end.”

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis last week requested $10 million from the state’s budget committee for food banks and pantries, as well as funding extensions to WIC through November. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Monday announced $4 million in one-time emergency funding to food pantries and tribal nations, and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed off on $3 million in emergency funding to a nonprofit food bank.

But the massive size of SNAP and the cost of running it make all of those solutions temporary.

“They’re already pressed for resources and relying on increased private donations,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said of food pantries. “It’s going to be heartbreaking, much as it was in COVID with lines of people who are in need of basic necessities.”

It also puts states in a difficult position — some, like Maryland and Kansas, have not allocated state funds to food benefits and are standing by the argument that it’s the federal government’s responsibility. And in the memo Axios reported on Friday, the Trump administration argued that states cannot be legally reimbursed and that USDA contingency funds cannot be used for November benefits because they go beyond the amount appropriated for the fiscal year.

“The Trump Administration has provided zero assurance that our state will receive reimbursement,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement. “And as recent history has shown, President Trump’s targeted attacks on Democratic priorities, programs and states only further diminishes our confidence in being made whole.”

Some Democratic state officials have also criticized the administration over its lack of communication and for allowing SNAP funding to get swept up in the fight over the federal budget.

“President Trump controls the White House and both chambers of Congress. It’s clear where the responsibility lies to keep the government running,” Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a statement, accusing Trump and Republicans of playing “political games” with SNAP funding.

The White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs SNAP, did not respond to a request for comment. But the administration has in the meantime blamed Democrats for the shutdown. Democrats have used a rare moment of leverage to push for health care subsidy extensions.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA said in a statement posted to its website. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance.”

In addition to state officials, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are also urging the White House to take action. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine told reporters Monday that she reached out to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins last week to “strongly recommend that she use the $5 billion” in contingency funds, but she has not heard back.

And some are predicting that between the health care subsidies Democrats are pushing for and the SNAP benefits on the line, the political calculations around the shutdown are about to change.

“You’ve got to a pivot point here that I think many have looked at and said, ‘You know that’s going to be the precipitating event.’ I hope so,” Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski told reporters Monday. “I hope that we look at it and say we don’t want to deal with that. We don’t want to deal with the fact that now we’re not sending out SNAP benefits. Now we’re saying we don’t have WIC.”

Others were less sure.

When asked about the role of SNAP funding in shutdown talks, Sen. Ron Johnson told NOTUS that there isn’t anything more Republicans can do but wait on Democrats to vote for the CR.

“We’ve kind of laid our final offer on the table,” he said.