What to know about SNAP funds running out

by Sylvan Lane - 10/27/25 7:07 PM ET

Business & Economy

The Big Story

SNAP funds days away from running dry amid shutdown

Millions of people across the country could see their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance dry up during the government shutdown amid a fight between the Trump administration and Democrats.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released guidance Friday saying it won’t use the SNAP contingency funding, which Congress has allocated for emergency scenarios, if the shutdown extends beyond Friday.

Democrats blasted the move, which appears designed to maximize the pressure on ending the shutdown.

“It is a disgusting dereliction of duty that the Trump administration would knowingly rip food out of the mouths of 42 million children, seniors and veterans,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a statement criticizing the decision not to tap the reserve.

SNAP provided benefits to about 41.7 million Americans in fiscal 2024, according to a monthly average calculated by the USDA. That year, the government spent $99.8 billion on SNAP, a monthly average of $187.20 per participant.

Read more here.

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