The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, has now completely overshadowed the bickering about Affordable Healthcare Act subsidies as the federal government shutdown drags on. On 14 occasions now, Senate Democrats have denied Republicans the votes they need to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to temporarily fund the government. November SNAP benefits are not going out – and now, President Trump has apparently changed his mind about dipping into contingency funds to support the program.
US District Judge John McConnell last week ordered the administration to use emergency money to at least partially fund SNAP for November.
Trump Turns Up the Heat
Initially, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers the program, signaled that it was willing to provide the necessary funds. Then on Nov. 4, President Trump gave everyone whiplash with a Truth Social post:
“SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly ‘handed’ to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!”
Around 42 million Americans supposedly rely on what used to be known as food stamps for groceries. According to USDA figures, the program cost American taxpayers close to $100 billion for the year in 2024 – or $8 billion per month – up from $28.5 billion in 2000. The USDA also claims that more than 11 percent of SNAP payments in 2023 were sent out improperly, at a cost of more than $10 billion.
The situation now appears uncertain, while there’s a glimmer of hope on Capitol Hill that the shutdown stalemate could be about to break. Fox News reported on Nov. 4 that “some” Democrats are working with Senate Republicans on an amended version of the CR that has stalled in the upper chamber for 35 days. That bill would then go back to the House, should the Senate approve it.
Apparently, this would still be a clean CR – just a spending bill with nothing extra built in.
All in all, the government shutdown has probably not played out as well for Democrats as they may have hoped. Polls have shown that most Americans blame them, rather than Republicans, for the stoppage. The largest federal employees’ union has called on Democrats to get the government open again – Republicans do not have the 60 Senate votes necessary to pass the CR.
SNAP in the Spotlight
And now, the shutdown has put a spotlight on the horrendous cost – and waste – inherent in the SNAP system. This is something to which most Americans were oblivious until the shutdown threatened these benefits.
Hayden Dublois, who is the data and analytics director for the Foundation for Government Accountability, explained to the Daily Caller News Foundation that “Roughly one in every ten dollars spent on food stamps in this country is improper.” Dublois notes that the staggering amount lost to “waste, fraud, and abuse” means truly needy Americans, particularly children and the elderly, are being deprived. “From EBT trafficking schemes to states simply failing to verify eligibility, the full extent of food stamp fraud is far-reaching,” he added.
Democrats, who likely never expected nor wanted SNAP to wind up in the crosshairs of the Trump administration and congressional Republicans looking to root out wasteful spending, may come to rue the day. It now seems clear that, when the shutdown is over, the entire program is in for a serious audit. Many blue states are refusing to hand over their SNAP data. Probably, they are aware that the end is nigh for another of their pet “free stuff for votes” projects.
