Press Releases
Congresswoman Escobar, House Democrats Call on Trump Admin to Use SNAP Reserve Funding to Continue November Benefits Without Interruption
El Paso, TX,
October 24, 2025
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Abbey Thompson
(202-225-4831)
Tags:
Federal Funding
Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) joined 213 of her Democratic colleagues in calling on the Trump Administration to immediately release the nearly $5 billion in SNAP contingency funding that would allow November benefits to go out without interruption. SNAP benefits were made available to eligible individuals in October, but due to the Agriculture Secretary’s unwillingness to use her statutory transfer authority along with the roughly $5 billion SNAP contingency fund to deliver benefits in November, 42 million American seniors, veterans and families with children risk not being able to keep food on their table. "Over 152,000 people in El Paso, including children, seniors, veterans, and working parents, rely on SNAP to put food on the table. Despite $5 billion available in SNAP’s reserve or 'contingency fund,' the Trump Administration has directed states to withhold November benefits that millions of low-income families need,” said Congresswoman Escobar. "There is absolutely no reason for Americans’ SNAP benefits to be suspended considering the funding for November is authorized and readily available. I join my colleagues in calling for the administration to urgently release SNAP contingency funding and to finally come to the table to negotiate ending the shutdown for the good of the American people." The text of the letter can be found in its entirety below: “Dear Madam Secretary, "Right now, millions of Americans are struggling to afford food due to the Administration’s ill-conceived trade war. Just this year, we’ve seen household staples like eggs, coffee, and ground beef hit record high prices. Now more than ever, millions of families across the country depend upon the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to make ends meet. For far too many veterans, seniors, and children, SNAP benefits are the difference between having food or not. Now, due to the government shutdown, they are facing crippling levels of uncertainty about whether they will be able to afford food next month.
"A potential lapse in benefits would be felt by Americans of all ages and affect every corner and congressional district in the country. As the largest food assistance program in the United States, SNAP serves 42 million people. That includes 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans.
"That is why we were deeply concerned to see your comments suggesting that SNAP will run out of funding in two weeks and that no SNAP benefits will be issued in November. USDA’s shutdown plan acknowledges that “Congressional intent is evident that SNAP’s operations should continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds...” USDA still has significant funding available in SNAP’s contingency reserve – which Congress provides precisely for this reason – that can be used to fund the bulk of November benefits.
"We urge USDA to use these funds for November SNAP benefits and issue clear guidance to states on how to navigate benefit issuance. Additionally, while the contingency reserve will not cover November benefits in full, we urge USDA to use its statutory transfer authority or any other legal authority at its disposal to supplement these dollars and fully fund November benefits.
"There are clear steps the administration can and must take immediately to ensure that millions of families across the country can put food on their table in November. Choosing not to ensure SNAP benefits reach those in need this November would be a gross dereliction of your responsibilities to the American people. We appreciate your consideration of these requests.”
The letter can be found here.
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