Democrats and Republicans are currently proposing competing bills aimed at ensuring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits remain funded through November. This comes as the ongoing government shutdown could potentially disrupt benefit distribution as early as Saturday.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins pointed out on Tuesday that the USDA is not permitted by law to utilize emergency funds to sustain SNAP benefits. While the department has estimated a need for $9.2 billion in SNAP funding through November, Rollins mentioned that the shutdown leaves them without the necessary funds.
In the fiscal year 2024, SNAP benefits were provided to about 41.7 million Americans, according to the USDA’s monthly averages. The government allocated approximately $99.8 billion towards SNAP that year, which breaks down to an average of $187.20 per month for each participant.
Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-Missouri) SNAP Funding Preservation Act of 2025 aims to secure food assistance funding for states until the government shutdown is resolved. The USDA can receive allocations either through appropriations or temporary measures.
This bill has garnered support from ten Republican senators, including Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), Katie Britt (Alabama), and John Cornyn (Texas), along with Democratic support from Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont.
Hawley emphasized in an op-ed that there’s no reason for eligible Americans to go hungry, asserting that funding food assistance is a manageable obligation.
Despite this, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.C.) criticized the bill for targeting specific sectors affected by the shutdown, suggesting a lack of broader focus.
Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) has also introduced a corresponding bill in the House to maintain food assistance funding, highlighting that over 262,000 Iowans, including more than 100,000 children, depend on SNAP to meet their food needs. She expressed that access to food should not be a political bargaining chip.
Meanwhile, as Republicans gear up for a vote on Hawley’s proposal, Democrats unveiled their alternative solution on Tuesday. Sen. Ben Ray Luján’s (D-N.M.) bill calls for continued funding for both SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which is crucial for low-income mothers. Under this proposal, the states would be reimbursed for disbursing these benefits during the shutdown.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Luján, alongside Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), criticized the USDA for its inaction regarding emergency funds meant to sustain SNAP benefits. He accused the Trump administration and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) of essentially “starving” millions.
“That’s unacceptable,” Luján remarked, drawing on his background from a small farming community to differentiate between genuine agricultural challenges and political rhetoric. He also referenced former New Mexico Governor Bruce King, suggesting that sometimes, locked-in negotiations may lead to better solutions.
Luján urged President Trump to return from his international trip, reminding him that it is ultimately the president’s responsibility to avoid a government shutdown, emphasizing its negative implications for leadership.
He anticipates seeking unanimous consent for his bill on the Senate floor on Wednesday.
