SNAP Payments Disrupted as Senate Blocks Funding

The partial U.S. government shutdown has entered its fifth week, leaving federal workers unpaid and straining essential services, and SNAP funding lapsed on Nov. 1, putting roughly 41–42 million Americans at risk of losing benefits. Senate Republicans blocked a Democrat-led resolution backed by 44 Democrats that would have forced the USDA to release about $8 billion to cover November benefits. The administration said it will tap contingency/emergency funds to cover roughly half of November SNAP costs, and earlier federal judges had ordered the USDA to use $5 billion in contingency funds to resume payments. Frozen or delayed payments have left many recipients with $0 in their EBT accounts and are straining food banks and pantries nationwide, prompting large emergency distributions run by local agencies, the National Guard and nonprofits. Communities are mobilizing donations and mutual-aid efforts to fill gaps, even as the shutdown’s ripple effects contribute to staffing strains and rising flight delays at major airports.