The shutdown began when Congress failed to pass a continuing resolution to fund federal agencies for the fiscal year, resulting in many non-essential operations halting as of Oct. 1. Republicans and Democrats remain at odds over funding allocations; Republicans argue Democrats are blocking reopening, while Democrats say the funding package lacks needed protections.
“Let’s be clear about the facts,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said last week. “There is somewhere around five billion dollars in emergency funds that could be used right now to ensure parents and kids don’t go hungry when SNAP runs out this Saturday. We don’t want to pit healthcare and food, [Republicans] do. We think you can have both.”
President Trump has echoed Republican lawmakers’ calls for Democrats to support a reopening. In an interview with 60 Minutes.
“I mean, the Republicans are voting almost unanimously to end it, and the Democrats keep voting against ending it,” Trump said on the show.
SNAP stuck in legal vs. funding limbo
SNAP is a cornerstone of the federal safety-net, supporting approximately 42 million Americans each month. In recent weeks, two federal courts—one in Massachusetts, one in Rhode Island—ruled that the administration must use emergency reserve funds (estimated at about $5 billion) and possibly another pool of roughly $23 billion to continue SNAP benefits despite the shutdown.
Yet, the administration has declined to immediately tap those funds. A memo from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated that despite available reserves, “the contingency fund” could not be used because the agency lacked proper appropriations.
“Our Government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain monies we have available,” President Trump said on his Truth Social account. “I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.”
He added: “If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding, just like I did with Military and Law Enforcement Pay.”
Despite the court orders, SNAP benefits slated to be issued Nov. 1 were suspended or delayed in many states. Beneficiaries face weeks of uncertainty, food banks report heavier demand, and states are considering tapping their own resources to fill the gap.
“There is no doubt, and it is beyond argument, that irreparable harm will begin to occur — if it hasn’t already occurred — in the terror it has caused some people about the availability of funding for food for their families,” U.S. District Judge, John J. McConnell, wrote.
Some states have announced contingency measures, but the federal pause raises deep concern about whether food‐insecure Americans will receive full benefits in time. The USDA says its contingency funds would only cover a fraction of typical monthly payments, and the administration warns that tapping reserves now may jeopardize other future programs.
“Donald Trump and Republicans are chaos agents,” House Democratic Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, said. “At moments in time that require stable, presidential leadership, Donald Trump is incapable of providing it.”
The courts have ordered the administration to report by Monday (Nov. 3) on how it plans to comply with their orders. Meanwhile, the shutdown drags on. Without a deal, more federal functions will remain suspended, and already strained safety-net services could face cascading effects.
President Trump and congressional Republicans continue to push the narrative that reopening the government is in Democrats’ hands, while Democratic leaders argue any funding package must include protections for food aid, health programs and other services. With no movement in sight, the spotlight remains on both the legal authority to spend emergency funds and the political will to end the stalemate.
