Overview
- USDA says it will halt November SNAP distributions if the shutdown persists, putting roughly 41.7–42 million people at risk of missing benefits starting Nov. 1.
- The agency argues about $5–6 billion in contingency reserves cannot be used without an appropriation and are intended for disasters, a reversal from earlier guidance noted by lawmakers and former officials.
- Plaintiffs led by Massachusetts filed in federal court seeking a temporary restraining order that would require USDA to take steps to make funds available in their jurisdictions.
- Congress remains in a standoff over a continuing resolution and competing standalone SNAP bills, with Senate leaders trading blame as the deadline nears.
- States and communities are preparing stopgaps, including Virginia’s state-funded EBT payments, an $8 million Montgomery County aid package, food bank surges in the D.C. region, and local business donations in Maine, while retailers warn of economic ripple effects.