It would be unconscionable for the Administration to go out of its way to threaten millions of children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, parents, and workers with hunger, rather than taking all legal steps available to provide food assistance to people who need it.

Even at this late date, the professionals at the Department of Agriculture and in states can make this happen. And, to state the obvious, benefits that are a couple of days delayed are far more help to families than going without any help at all.

Speaking as a former OMB official, I know from experience that the federal government has the authority and the tools it needs during a shutdown to get these SNAP funds to families.

Also, the Administration could use its legal transfer authority — the same authority it already used to provide additional funds to #WIC — to supplement the contingency reserves, which by themselves are not enough to fund families’ full benefits.

The Administration itself admits these reserves are available for use. It could have, and should have, taken steps weeks ago to be ready to use these funds. Instead, it may choose not to use them in an effort to gain political advantage.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

These reserves contain billions of dollars that Congress provided for use when #SNAP funding is inadequate, funding that remains available during the shutdown.

Congressional Republicans & the President need to come to the table w/ Democrats to reach a deal that prevents health care cost spikes for millions of people & ensures the Admin can’t unilaterally or illegally undo bipartisan funding laws simply bc the President dislikes them.

Meanwhile, they are doing nothing to address a looming, massive health care cost spike for >20M ppl and have so far refused bipartisan negotiations to prevent families across the country already struggling to afford health care & other basics from taking this hit.

Republicans are claiming this is business as usual but nothing about this is normal. We’ve never seen a President unilaterally and unlawfully ignore bipartisan laws. And then he expects Congress to do nothing to stop him.

Let’s be clear about what’s going on here: The Trump Admin has repeatedly shredded the last bipartisan funding bill- illegally canceling or freezing funding that Rs & Ds agreed to (e.g. for medical research) & keeping it from reaching the people & communities it’s meant to serve.

These data are collected every December. Congress needs to stand up for sound data and its importance to sound policymaking. Time is of the essence.

Ending data collection on topics as important as families’ ability to afford food makes it harder to understand whether we are making progress or going backwards as a nation.

The Administration has argued that its policies are good for families and the economy, but ending data collection on whether families can afford food suggests they are far from confident.

These data are critical for understanding how policies and economic indicators – like food prices, changes to #SNAP, unemployment, and income growth affect households’ ability to afford food. The survey has been validated and even adopted by other countries.

Both Democratic and Republican administrations since the 1990s have implemented and improved the survey so that policymakers and the public would have quality data about households that struggle to afford food.

If Congress doesn't address this, it will be very difficult to reach funding deals in the future since Congress won't be sure the resources they provide will actually reach the people and communities they were intended to assist. www.cbpp.org/research/fed...