Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
202-640-1118
Statement attributable to Crystal FitzSimons, president, Food Research & Action Center
WASHINGTON, October 30, 2025 — We welcome President Trump’s commitment to provide November SNAP benefits, as reported in Newsweek yesterday, and urge the administration to quickly utilize the mechanism available to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide the benefits in order to limit the hunger and economic crisis that delaying benefits will cause.
USDA has a well-established mechanism, including contingency reserves and carryover funds, that the previous Trump administration, and other administrations, have used to maintain SNAP operations during budget delays.
Despite knowing that a shutdown was likely, the administration has so far chosen not to utilize these tools. During the shutdown, it also has made deliberate decisions to fund other priorities and allocate available resources elsewhere, but not to SNAP. FRAC, along with state agencies and anti-hunger advocates, has been raising the alarm about this issue since September 30. This is not an administrative oversight; it has been a direct policy choice that is delaying November benefits and placing additional strain on families, states, and retailers.
This lapse aligns with broader policy choices to scale back the program, as reflected in recent legislative changes that significantly reduced SNAP funding under the budget reconciliation law enacted last summer.
The issue at hand is not political. It is about ensuring that parents can put food on the table, older adults on fixed incomes can meet their nutritional needs, and children continue to receive the meals they rely on. SNAP is one of the most effective tools for reducing hunger and supporting local economies.
Trump’s recent statement should trigger the administration to use its authority and precedent to prevent disruptions in food assistance. Swift and transparent action is needed to restore stability, maintain public confidence, and ensure that our state partners, local economies and grocers, and the millions of children, older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans who participate in SNAP are not left bearing the consequences of federal inaction.
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The Food Research & Action Center improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit FRAC.org and follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.