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By Hollie Silverman
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Officials from 25 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Tuesday aiming to have the Trump administration to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Recipients of SNAP have been warned across the United States that they won't receive funds on their debit cards in November as the government shutdown continues.
A group of attorneys general and governors said in the lawsuit that the administration is legally required to use a contingency fund to pay for continuing benefits.
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The group has identified a contingency fund of around $5 billion, which would be enough to pay for SNAP for more than half a month.
In a post to X Monday, the White House said, “Over 40 million Americans face the risk of losing critical SNAP food benefits. This crisis could be resolved if Democrats prioritized the needs of the American people over political games.”
When reached by email Tuesday, the White House referred Newsweek to the Office of Management and Budget.
Why It Matters
The suspension of SNAP benefits threatens critical food access for more than 41 million low- and no-income Americans across the country, serving about 1 in 8 U.S. residents.
As the shutdown, which started October 1, stretches to a historic length, bipartisan criticism has grown over the administration's handling of emergency funds and the economic consequences for already strained households.
Legal experts and state officials argued that this withholding of support was unprecedented in the program’s six-decade history, raising both humanitarian and statutory questions.
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What To Know
The coalition—comprising 25 states and the District of Columbia—filed suit in Boston federal court to compel the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use $6 billion in contingency funds to pay November SNAP benefits.
The USDA had earlier communicated that, without new Congressional appropriations, it would not issue these benefits and declared on its website: "The well has run dry." The agency maintained that contingency reserves could only supplement already-appropriated regular benefits—not replace them amid a funding lapse.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta characterized the USDA’s stance as needlessly punitive and in violation of the Food and Nutrition Act.
Newsom announced that California mobilized the California National Guard and volunteers to distribute meals and approved $80 million in state support to bolster food banks and mitigate the impact.
The USDA, in recent statements and internal memos, underscored its position that using SNAP contingency funds in lieu of authorized appropriations would leave fewer resources for other nutrition programs such as WIC, the National School Lunch Program, and Child Nutrition Programs.
The shutdown doesn't just threaten SNAP recipients; it also threatens benefits for nearly 7 million participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
In response, several states have announced emergency measures, including Vermont, Virginia, New York and Minnesota.
Congressional Republicans and Democrats continue to blame each other for the impasse, with Republicans asserting that Democrats are blocking a stopgap bill and Democrats introducing their own legislative proposals to maintain SNAP funding.
What People Are Saying
Governor Gavin Newsom, California, October 28, 2025: “While Donald Trump parades around the world trying to repair the economic damage he's done with his incompetence, he's denying food to millions of Americans who will go hungry next month. It's cruel and speaks to his basic lack of humanity. He doesn't care about the people of this country, only himself.”
Governor Phil Scott, Vermont, October 27, 2025: “This could cause catastrophic disruption for more than 63,000 Vermonters relying on these benefits every month, including low-income families, veterans, older citizens, and people living with disabilities. We are working together with a bipartisan group to challenge the federal government’s refusal to fund these vital benefits.”
What Happens Next
SNAP benefits will remain suspended until the government shutdown is resolved or a court orders the USDA to use contingency funds.
The federal district court in Massachusetts is expected to begin reviewing the states’ petition for immediate relief.
Meanwhile, states continue to implement emergency responses, and the standoff in Congress over broader government funding persists.
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