Trump administration won't use contingency fund to pay November food stamp benefits
Source: CNN Politics
PUBLISHED Oct 24, 2025, 4:36 PM ET
The US Department of Agriculture says it will not tap into its $6 billion contingency fund to cover food stamp benefits next month, according to an agency memo obtained by CNN. That means that roughly 42 million Americans will not receive critical food assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, in November, unless the agency shifts its position.
Contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits, the memo reads. SNAP contingency funds are only available to supplement regular monthly benefits when amounts have been appropriated for, but are insufficient to cover, benefits. The contingency fund is not available to support FY 2026 regular benefits, because the appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists.
Also, states will not be reimbursed if they use their own funds to pay for benefits, according to the memo, which was reported earlier by Axios.
The loss of the critical safety net program ramps up pressure on Congress to end the federal government shutdown, which began on October 1, by agreeing to a federal spending package. Democrats have said they will not support a short-term spending bill unless it includes an extension of the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/politics/usda-contingency-fund-november-snap
But they'll illegally take a $130 million "donation" to pay the military.
As a note that I keep repeating - SNAP is under the FARM BILL, a 5-year appropriation that the GOP keeps punting year after year on C.R.s (we're still using what is basically an extended 2018 one that became a 2023 one extended through to this past Sept. 30 with the March C.R.).
electric_blue68
(24,539 posts)Klarkashton
(4,436 posts)Bullshit illegitimate "executive order" then it's "make it so!"
underpants
(193,581 posts)but they grandstand on bailing out farmers (didnt) sort of privatized the military and will destroy part of the White House but they did through the minutiae when its food for a bunch poor people.
hlthe2b
(111,865 posts)CountAllVotes
(22,012 posts)Not sure you can buy a good one for that.
orangecrush
(27,141 posts)Picaro
(2,251 posts)They can starve as far as Trumpists are concerned.
tinrobot
(11,834 posts)rubbersole
(10,777 posts)Just kick the riff-raff and hope the poor will deport themselves to...oh, wait.
Orrex
(66,276 posts)When it's pointed out that SNAP is federal money, those same fuckheads demand that Shapiro tap into the rainy-day fund.
And not, you know, that their sacred orange prolapse should just fucking die already and get out of the goddamn way.
BumRushDaShow
(162,209 posts)The douchebag GOP-controlled state Senate have refused to engage in passing a state budget, the budget that EXPIRED back on June 30. So trying to "tap in" to anything has pretty much been limited or even thwarted.
We need to take that state Senate. We just need 3 seats!!! I so want us to be a trifecta!
Marthe48
(22,130 posts)No one will bother with the fine print on that, just shovel it into the bottomless pit.
0rganism
(25,374 posts)Willing to let people starve for a legalistic splitting of hairs, simply to cause pain among the less fortunate. Thank you so much for needless cruelty so thick you could almost eat it, Sec. Rollins (head of USDA since Feb.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooke_Rollins
Javaman
(64,715 posts)That has a halfwit a prez.