OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
3:22 PM – Monday, November 3, 2025
The Trump administration will issue partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits this month as the ongoing federal government shutdown stretches toward a historic length — while Senate Democrats still refuse to work with the GOP in coming to a deal to reopen the government.
On Monday, GOP officials told a federal judge that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will draw on contingency funds to provide partial food assistance payments to millions of Americans who rely on the program, commonly known as food stamps.
Two federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts recently ordered the USDA to use the contingency fund.
Under the new plan, current SNAP recipients are expected to receive half of their normal monthly benefit, though the timing of payments may vary by state. New applicants for November will not receive assistance.
Since the contingency fund is being fully depleted for existing households, zero dollars remain for anyone newly certified in November. New applicants will receive no benefits until Congress passes a full-year appropriation and the shutdown ends.
The shutdown stems from a budget impasse between the White House and congressional Democrats over what Democrats have labeled “spending priorities.” It has closed or curtailed operations at multiple federal agencies and furloughed hundreds of thousands of government workers.
The Trump administration has not yet stated how long the contingency funds for SNAP will last. However, USDA officials indicated the reserves could sustain the partial payments only through the end of the month unless Congress approves new appropriations.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) continues to solely blame President Trump and his administration for the ongoing SNAP turmoil. On the flip side, Republicans maintain that Schumer and Senate Democrats are contributing to the SNAP funding crisis by repeatedly blocking Republican-led continuing resolutions (CRs) to reopen the government.
For instance, Senate Democrats, led by Schumer, have voted against a House-passed bill multiple times, which would have funded SNAP and other programs, as it “didn’t meet their demands” — such as extending Obamacare subsidies.
Yet, Schumer pins the blame solely on the president, completely ignoring Democrats’ role in prolonging the shutdown. Additionally, his prior claim that “every day gets better for us [Democrats]” during the shutdown is seen by many as a cynical admission that his party is leveraging the crisis, including SNAP disruptions, for political gain.
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