SNAP benefits halt Nov. 1 amid government shutdown

SNAP benefits halt Nov. 1

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website that no federal food assistance will be distributed on Nov. 1, raising concerns for families as the government shutdown continues. Politico's Grace Yarrow joined us with more.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website that no federal food assistance will be distributed on Nov. 1, raising concerns for families as the government shutdown continues.

The notice follows the Trump administration’s decision not to use roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to extend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits into November. SNAP helps about one in eight Americans afford groceries.

A message posted on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website says no Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be issued on November 01. (USDA)

"Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01," the USDA notice reads.

"We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance," the notice continued.

In Virginia, food benefits will be issued to residents under Governor Glenn Youngkin’s State of Emergency declaration, which expands access to emergency funds. "The Commonwealth will provide food benefits until Congressional Democrats put the interests of Virginians in need ahead of their politics," Youngkin said in a statement last week.

The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, is now the second-longest in U.S. history.

While the Republican administration took steps to ensure SNAP benefits were paid this month, a November cutoff would make the impact for vulnerable families worse.

FILE - "SNAP/EBT Food Stamp Benefits Accepted" is displayed on a screen inside a Family Dollar Stores Inc. store in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on March 3, 2020. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Democrats say they won’t agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate on extending expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies. Republicans insist Democrats must first vote to end the shutdown before any talks begin.

Democratic lawmakers have urged Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to tap contingency funds to cover most of next month’s SNAP benefits.