Overview
- USDA says it will not issue November SNAP benefits unless the shutdown ends, setting up the first lapse in monthly payments for the program’s 42 million recipients.
- U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani indicated she is likely to order the USDA to tap emergency funds, with a ruling expected after Thursday’s hearing in Boston.
- The administration argues contingency reserves of roughly $5–6 billion are legally restricted and insufficient for a full month that typically costs about $8–9 billion.
- More than two dozen states have sued to compel use of those reserves as governors deploy limited stopgaps, including New York’s $65 million for food banks and Virginia’s emergency nutrition aid.
- Food banks warn they cannot replace federal support at scale, with Massachusetts groups estimating 56 million additional meals would be needed if benefits do not arrive.