Trump Administration Rejects SNAP Emergency Fund Use Amid Shutdown Hunger Concerns

The Trump administration has refused to use approximately $5 billion in contingency funds to maintain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the ongoing government shutdown, risking food aid for about 42 million low-income Americans. The Department of Agriculture cited legal restrictions, stating these emergency funds are reserved for disaster relief and cannot cover regular SNAP benefits, despite Democratic lawmakers' calls to use them to prevent hunger. Critics, including Senator Bernie Sanders and other Democrats, have condemned the administration for not utilizing these funds, accusing it of prioritizing political battles over the welfare of vulnerable populations. The administration's stance has sparked bipartisan blame between lawmakers for the potential suspension of benefits, which would affect roughly one in eight Americans. Advocacy groups and some state officials have expressed deep concern as SNAP benefits are set to expire in November without a government funding agreement. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries characterized the decision as a "disgusting dereliction of duty" and accused Republicans of "weaponizing hunger."