SNAP May Run Out of Funds by Nov. 1, Governor Warns

Louisiana citizens who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits could see them cease next month due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said in a statement on Oct. 23.

“Notifications from LDH [Louisiana Department of Health] have been sent out stating that, because of Democrat Leader Schumer’s Shutdown, SNAP beneficiaries may run out of funds by November 1,” the governor said.

“I have been in discussions with other governors across the nation, as well as with our legislative leadership. I am making it a top priority to ensure that seniors, individuals with disabilities, and children who rely on food stamps do not go hungry in Louisiana. Democrats’ political games need to end.”

In Louisiana, 803,988 individuals received SNAP benefits as of May, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The federal shutdown began on Oct. 1 after Democrats and Republicans failed to pass a bill to fund the government.

Democrats demanded that any funding deal must include the rollback of Medicaid cuts made in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law by President Donald Trump in July. The lawmakers also insist the enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, set to expire by year-end, be extended.

Republicans maintain that health care and the shutdown are issues that should be considered separately.

Thus far, there have been 12 votes in the Senate to temporarily fund and reopen the government, all of which have failed. With the shutdown now entering its 24th day, it has become the second-longest in American history, topped only by the 35-day shutdown in 2018.

In an Oct. 20 statement, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s office said the Oregon Department of Human Services has notified SNAP recipients in the state that they won’t be receiving any new SNAP benefits after Oct. 31, due to the shutdown.

The office blamed the Trump administration for the SNAP disruption.

“The Trump Administration continues to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sending a clear message that the Administration is prioritizing other matters ahead of putting food on tables for Oregonians,” the statement said.

There are 757,000 SNAP beneficiaries in Oregon, about 1 in 6 residents. Roughly 210,000 of these beneficiaries are children, while 130,000 are adults aged 65 and above, the governor’s office said.

Any reduction or delay in SNAP benefits next month will cause hardship and hunger for hundreds of thousands of people in the state during the Thanksgiving month, according to the statement.

“This is a cruel and unacceptable situation. President Trump should focus on feeding families by negotiating a deal with Congress, not doing other things like deploying troops in American cities on taxpayers’ dime,” Kotek said.

Meanwhile, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin blamed Democrats for the delayed SNAP benefits.

On Oct. 23, Youngkin declared a state of emergency to provide relief to the state’s citizens who are at risk of losing out on SNAP benefits come November. According to the governor, more than 850,000 Virginians could lose these benefits.

The declaration allows the governor to spend Virginia’s emergency funds to protect the “health, welfare, and safety” of its citizens, Youngkin said.

“This is an extraordinary action and is only necessary because of the shamelessness of congressional Democrats,” the governor added.

Multiple other states, including California, Colorado, West Virginia, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Texas, have also warned of the potential cessation of SNAP benefits.

The state with the highest number of SNAP beneficiaries is California (5.49 million), followed by Texas (3.45 million), New York (2.96 million), and Florida (2.94 million), according to USDA data.

In an Oct. 17 post on X, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said there weren’t enough funds to provide SNAP benefits to 40 million Americans from Nov. 1.

“Democrats are putting free healthcare for illegal aliens and their political agenda ahead of food security for American families. Shameful,” she wrote.

Meanwhile, funding for SNAP is set to be cut by $187 billion through 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Beginning in November, the SNAP program is set to see major changes in line with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including more stringent work requirements for beneficiaries.