More than 40 million Americans who rely on federal food assistance woke up to uncertainty on Saturday over whether their aid is secure or when it will resume in full.
A federal judge in Rhode Island on Friday ordered the White House to use contingency funds to pay for those benefits. But it was unclear how that decision would correspond with a separate decision by a judge in Massachusetts telling the administration it had until "no later than Monday" to come up with a way to use emergency funds to pay for aid.
The impasse over funding the government means that the nearly 1 in 8 U.S. residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, to buy groceries may be facing at least a temporary lapse in benefits. Following Friday's decisions, President Trump said he had directed government lawyers to find a way to pay for SNAP, and that he instructed them to seek further clarity on the rulings. He cautioned, however, that even with immediate guidance, benefits "will unfortunately be delayed while States get the money out."
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is the country's largest anti-hunger program.
A coalition of Democratic governors and attorneys general are suing the federal government to keep the payments flowing, arguing the benefits cannot legally be cut off. The Trump administration says it's not legal to extend the benefits using emergency funds — though the administration extended benefits during a shutdown in the first term.
As congressional gridlock continues, states are exploring what they can offer their residents who've just lost their food aid.
Eyes turning to food banks
Food bank administrators are warning that the loss of November SNAP benefits could lead to a public health crisis.
Jason Riggs, the director of advocacy and public policy at Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico, likens it to the recession 17 years ago and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This is a huge increase in need, but that's where comparisons end," he said. "When [those] happened, there was a robust SNAP program, with all its flaws, doing what it is designed to do. And that's the difference with what's happening right now — there will not be SNAP. There will just be the same kind of catastrophic need for food."
More than 21% of New Mexico residents receive SNAP benefits, the highest rate in the nation.
Loading...
People are turning to food banks to help fill in the assistance gap, but administrators caution they aren't designed to act as a safety net for a government program.
"It's very daunting," Riggs told NPR. "SNAP can provide nine times the amount of meals as the entire nationwide food bank network."
Central Texas Food Bank CEO Sari Vatske said shutdowns aren't like other food crises.
"In a situation during a natural disaster where we could rely on our sister food banks for support, with this government shutdown, we are all experiencing the same need," she said.
Businesses that partner with grocery retailers and restaurants to take surplus or near-expired food and sell it at a heavy discount, like Too Good To Go and Flashfood, are trying to reach people affected.
Flashfood CEO Jordan Schenck said the organization has seen a spike in downloads in the last few days.
"That started as [the SNAP cliff] really became more prevalent in the media. We've definitely seen more traffic," Schenck told NPR.
The view from Capitol Hill
One month into the shutdown, there is no concrete off-ramp.
The Senate left D.C. on Thursday for the weekend, ahead of two major pain points of the shutdown coming into sharper relief on Saturday: the SNAP cliff, and the start of open enrollment for health insurance plans sold on the exchanges as part of the Affordable Care Act.
Health care has been at the center of Congressional Democrats' shutdown strategy. They have demanded that Republicans negotiate with them to extend the enhanced subsidies, which were boosted during the pandemic. They are set to expire at the end of the year. If nothing changes, Americans who purchase healthcare via the exchange could see their premiums skyrocket.
At a Thursday town hall with Maryland Democrats, including Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, Democratic constituents urged the party to hold the line.
"I think they should hold out as long as possible," said Maryland voter Christina Thompson. "It's clear whose shutdown this is. Republicans hold all the leverage and all the cards. And if we back out now, then we're just showing again the party has no backbone."
Republicans have maintained throughout the month-long shutdown that Democrats must first vote alongside them to fund the government, before addressing the health care subsidies.
The typically subdued Senate Majority Leader John Thune R-S.D., reproached Democrats on the floor Wednesday after they tried to pass a measure that would fund SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
"This isn't a political game," Thune said, raising his voice. "These are real people's lives we're talking about and you all just figured out 29 days that, oh there might be some consequences?"
Copyright 2025 NPR
