SNAP Explained: Why 42 Million Americans Could Go Hungry This November | World News

Washington: The government shutdown continues in the USA. The clock is approaching zero for food aid. Disaster is moving silently through the supermarket aisles.

Forty-two million people rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP serves as the primary source of food for low-income families. The program reaches every corner of the country. Poverty rules most SNAP households. Utility determines whether children eat dinner or not.

The Department of Agriculture told states on Oct. 10 that SNAP funding would expire in November unless lawmakers took action. The notification came with cold finality. The warning spread to offices that track hunger.

The White House puts the blame on Democrats. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins issued a scathing statement against

The message went viral. Anger increased. Families watched the charges as their budgets were already bankrupt.

The shutdown stemmed from a fight over the Affordable Care Act. Democrats want an extension of increased subsidies. Republicans want federal funding approved first. Political pride fills the room. Food insecurity is on the doorstep.

SNAP money comes from Congress. Government agencies manage operations. Each buyer receives an average of $190 per month. Each household receives an average of $356. Produce, meat, dairy products and bread are purchased with money. The money is rarely enough for a month.

Social media is abuzz with warnings that food stamps will disappear on November 1. “Let this sink in – just in time for the cold season and thanksgiving,” one Instagram user wrote.

The post is going viral, with families trying to pass the half-gallon of milk. Payment plans vary by state. The threat comes on different days in November. Anxiety comes now.

Donald Trump’s administration may have access to an emergency fund. The fund covers almost two-thirds of a month. More money can be transferred from other Ministry of Agriculture accounts. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities outlines these possibilities. Officials confirm that the Women, Infants and Children program has funding.

Federal documents state that SNAP continues during funding termination as long as the money is available. State officials received instructions from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to postpone steps to send November aid. Government rules call for larger deductions for households with slightly higher incomes. The poorest benefit the longest. This rule is valid until the reserves are exhausted.

Journalists want details. Administration officials remain silent.

State leaders stand out. Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin warn that November benefits may not arrive. A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Children and Families told PolitiFact that there will be no assistance if the shutdown continues into November.

California is pouring resources into the emergency. Governor Gavin Newsom is preparing the National Guard and California Volunteers to support food banks. The state will spend $80 million to supplement basic foodstuffs.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers sent a message to Rollins in an official letter. He writes: “Empty closets and stomachs are not abstract consequences. They are very real and immediate consequences of dysfunction in Washington. They are also consequences you can prevent today.”

The statement is a decision.

Food banks are feeling new pressure. ProPublica reported on Oct. 3 that Emergency Food Assistance Program deliveries had been cut by $500 million earlier in the year. Supplies are dropping. Demand is increasing. The shelves echo.

Congressional voices continue to make claims.

House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted on Facing the Nation on May 25. “We are not cutting” SNAP, he said. Billing records dispute this claim. The House passed a Republican-backed bill known as the One Big Beautiful Bill. The Congressional Budget Office reviewed the changes in May. The forecast found 3.2 million fewer participants per month for nine years. The decrease is due to changes in job requirements and limits on state exemptions in areas with high unemployment. An update in August put the estimate at 2.4 million.

Wisconsin State Representative Francesca Hong pointed out a vital detail from June 12 to X. “Almost 25 cents of every dollar spent through SNAP goes to farmers and ranchers,” he wrote.

Ministry of Agriculture figures also confirm this figure. Farm operations earned 24.3 cents on every dollar spent on food at home in 2023. SNAP cuts reach deep into rural communities.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries noted on May 8 that “about 20 percent of households with veterans rely on SNAP.” A study released April 2 says 8 percent of veterans receive SNAP benefits. No state goes above 14 percent. Older studies show figures ranging from 4.9 percent to 6.6 percent.

The shutdown drags forward. Refrigerators are empty. Tension spreads to homes that never wanted this fight.

Winter calls. The hunger line is growing. Washington remains deadlocked. Food insecurity is watching from the front row.