HARRISBURG, Pa. — President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday it will partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) after judges ordered the federal government to keep the nation’s largest food aid program running during the ongoing government shutdown.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, had planned to freeze payments starting Nov. 1, saying it could no longer fund the program during the shutdown. SNAP, which serves about one in eight Americans and costs more than $8 billion per month, will now rely on a $4.65 billion emergency fund — enough to cover half the benefits.
Information on how much recipients will receive or when benefits will appear on their cards has not been given. The USDA said it would issue guidance to states on calculating partial payments, but cautioned that system changes could take weeks or even months.
“The Trump Administration has the means to fund this program in full, and their decision not to will leave millions of Americans hungry and waiting even longer for relief,” Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said in a statement. Campbell led one of the lawsuits that forced the partial restoration of benefits.
In Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced new state-led efforts to support the more than two million residents who rely on SNAP. The governor said the state will immediately distribute $5 million in emergency funding to Feeding Pennsylvania to bolster its network of food banks across the Commonwealth.
Shapiro also signed a disaster emergency declaration to expedite the delivery of funds, streamline contracting and provide the state additional flexibility to respond.
“Nearly two million Pennsylvanians rely on SNAP every month — and they shouldn’t have to wonder where their next meal will come from because of the dysfunction in Washington,” Shapiro said. “There is no substitute for the federal government’s decision not to release SNAP benefits, but my administration is stepping up to use every tool we have — state resources, private sector support and the compassion of our communities — to make sure our food banks are fully stocked and our families are fed.”
The USDA’s initial plan to suspend SNAP payments sparked alarm among food banks, state agencies and the nearly 42 million Americans who depend on the aid to buy groceries.
“Food banks are already struggling to meet the needs of those facing hunger and cannot fill the gap if SNAP and WIC payments are halted,” said Dawn Godshall, CEO of Community Action Lehigh Valley. “USDA can, and must, use all available options to ensure that millions of families across the country, including nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians, can put enough food on the table come November.”
Sarah Wassel, associate executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank, said the ripple effects of reduced SNAP funding stretch far beyond the households who rely on the program.
“When SNAP funding was cut before, we immediately saw the need at the pantries increase — but at the same time, our corporate donors, like grocery stores, actually stopped donating because their sales dropped,” Wassel said. “It’s not just a trickle-down effect. It’s a trickle-around. It hits everyone — grocery store prices, staffing, local jobs. It’s like an oil spill. You know there’s damage, but you don’t know how much.”
