Welcome to The Logoff: After days of uncertainty, the Trump administration will keep food assistance flowing — but only for part of the month.
What’s happening? Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is likely to resume in the near future, after the Trump administration said Monday it would comply with a federal judge’s order to spend about $5.5 billion in contingency funds (essentially, cash the program can draw on to keep operating in emergencies).
SNAP funding lapsed over the weekend as a result of the ongoing government shutdown, interrupting vital food aid for nearly 42 million Americans, many of whom are children. While funding should start flowing again soon, the interruption will hurt SNAP recipients who not only have to deal with lost benefits but also uncertainty about exactly when they will resume.
What’s the context? This interruption in SNAP funding didn’t need to happen. Until early October, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) had a plan on its website outlining the use of contingency funding to keep SNAP benefits flowing. It was subsequently removed from the USDA site and replaced with a message saying, “The well has run dry,” and blaming congressional Democrats.
What’s next for SNAP? The contingency funds the administration is drawing on will only cover about half of November before benefits once again lapse. If the government remains shut by then, benefits are likely to dry up altogether.
That is partially due to the Trump administration’s refusal to explore alternatives to keep SNAP funding flowing past the middle of the month. Last week, a different federal judge in Boston pointed to tariff revenue as an option, but the administration has said they don’t intend to draw on it.
What’s the big picture? As the shutdown drags on, the Trump administration has gone to extraordinary measures to keep funding some of its priorities, such as immigration enforcement and military paychecks. Others, like food assistance, it has to be compelled to fund — and then, only begrudgingly.
