2LT International News

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has posted a notice warning that federal food aid will not be distributed on November 1, escalating the pressure on millions of families as the government shutdown continues.

According to the notice, the Trump administration has decided not to use roughly US$5 billion in contingency funds to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) running into November. SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, helps about one in eight Americans afford groceries.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA statement reads. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued on November 1. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”

The shutdown, which began on October 1, has now become the second-longest in U.S. history. While the administration took steps to ensure October SNAP payments went out, the looming cutoff would dramatically widen the shutdown’s impact — especially for low-income families — unless Congress reaches a deal within days.

The White House blames Democrats for the stalemate, accusing them of refusing to reopen the government without an agreement on renewing key Affordable Care Act subsidies. Democrats argue Republicans must first end the shutdown before negotiations can move forward.

Democratic lawmakers have urged Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to use the contingency funds to cover next month’s benefits. However, an internal USDA memo dated October 24 argues that those funds cannot legally be used for regular payments, as they are intended for emergencies such as natural disasters.

The memo specifically cited Hurricane Melissa, which recently intensified into a major storm, as an example of why maintaining those reserves is crucial for rapid disaster response.

The potential halt to food assistance has alarmed officials in states governed by both parties. Some states have pledged to continue SNAP benefits using their own funds if the federal payments stop, but it remains unclear whether federal rules allow such action. The USDA memo also warned that states would not be reimbursed if they temporarily cover the costs.

Other states are already warning residents to prepare for the possibility of no benefits. In Arkansas and Oklahoma, agencies are advising recipients to locate food pantries and other local assistance programs.

Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, accused Republicans and President Trump of refusing to negotiate.

“The reality is, if they sat down to try to negotiate, we could probably come up with something pretty quickly,” Murphy said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union. “We could open up the government on October 28 or 29, and there wouldn’t be any crisis in the food stamp program.”