Trump: SNAP Aid Only After Government Reopens

Overview

• President Trump wrote on Truth Social that SNAP benefits will be provided only once Democrats vote to reopen the government.
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said discussions on healthcare spending with Democrats can occur only after the shutdown ends and urged five Senate Democrats to back a temporary funding bill.
• The Washington Post reported that USDA decided to release roughly half of November SNAP funding after a Rhode Island court directive.
• More than 20 states have sued over threatened interruptions to food assistance for about 42 million Americans during the ongoing partial shutdown.
• The federal government has been partially closed since October 1 because Congress failed to pass appropriations for the new fiscal year.