The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it will suspend food assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) starting next week, as the government shutdown has entered its fourth week. The move may leave more than 40 million Americans without the monthly benefits used to purchase basic groceries.
In a notice posted online, the USDA said that funds for the program are no longer available, blaming the ongoing budget deadlock in the Senate for the disruption. SNAP supports one in eight Americans and is considered the country’s largest food aid program.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration did not use a special contingency fund that is normally reserved for emergencies. Officials said the fund must be saved for natural disasters, not for a government shutdown.
Democratic lawmakers criticized the decision, calling it harmful to millions of families. They urged the USDA to release emergency funds to keep benefits flowing. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, House Democrats said there was still enough funding to support the program for at least one more month.
However, USDA officials argued that the reserve funds would only cover about 60% of monthly benefits, which is not enough to fully operate SNAP nationwide.
The loss of benefits could push many low-income households into food insecurity. A family of four typically receives around $715 per month under SNAP, which helps them buy essential groceries. Some states, including California and Massachusetts, have said they will try to use state funds or organize emergency food distribution, but they also warned that their resources are limited.
Local food banks and community organizations have begun preparing for increased demand, as uncertainty grows over how long the shutdown will continue. The federal government shutdown has now become the second-longest in US history, with no agreement reached in Congress to restore funding.
