The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has posted a notice on its website stating that federal food aid will not be distributed on November 1. This development raises the stakes for families nationwide as the government shutdown continues.
The new notice follows the Trump administration’s decision not to tap into roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits flowing through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into November. SNAP helps about one in eight Americans purchase groceries.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA notice reads. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”
The government shutdown, which began on October 1, is now the second-longest on record. Although the Republican administration took steps before the shutdown to ensure SNAP benefits would be paid through October, the imminent cutoff threatens to affect a broader group of Americans—many of whom are among the most vulnerable—unless a political resolution is reached soon.
The administration has blamed Senate Democrats, who have insisted they will not agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Conversely, Republicans say Democrats must first agree to reopen the government before any negotiations can begin.
In response, Democratic lawmakers have written to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins requesting that contingency funds be used to cover the bulk of next month’s SNAP benefits. However, a USDA memo surfaced on Friday stating that “contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits.” Instead, the funds are reserved for emergencies, such as disaster relief.
The memo specifically cited Hurricane Melissa, which has recently intensified into a major storm, as an example of why these contingency funds must remain available to respond quickly in the event of a disaster.
The prospect of families not receiving food aid has sparked concern across states governed by both parties. Some states have vowed to keep SNAP benefits flowing even if federal payments cease, though questions remain regarding whether federal directives will permit this and whether states would be reimbursed.
The USDA memo also clarifies that states would not receive reimbursement for temporarily covering SNAP costs. Meanwhile, some states are advising SNAP recipients to prepare for potential interruptions in benefits. For example, Arkansas and Oklahoma have encouraged recipients to identify local food pantries and organizations that can assist with food access during this time.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) criticized Republicans and the Trump administration for refusing to negotiate. Speaking on CNN’s *State of the Union* Sunday, Murphy said, “The reality is, if they sat down to try to negotiate, we could probably come up with something pretty quickly. We could open up the government on Tuesday or Wednesday, and there wouldn’t be any crisis in the food stamp program.”
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*Misty Copeland broke barriers as the first Black female principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. Now, through her nonprofit, she’s making dance more accessible for children of color.*
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