Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• USDA announces states will not be reimbursed for using own resources to provide SNAP benefits — The USDA issued a memo stating that any states that use their own resources to provide food benefits during the shutdown will not be reimbursed by the federal government. This policy prevents states from independently bridging the gap created by the federal government's refusal to deploy its own contingency reserves, effectively blocking an alternative pathway to maintain nutrition assistance.
• USDA refuses to deploy $6 billion reserve to fund SNAP during government shutdown — The Trump administration's USDA announced it would not use approximately $6 billion in departmental reserves to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown, despite holding sufficient reserves. This reversal contradicts the USDA's own September shutdown contingency plan, which stated that multi-year contingency funds were available for both state administrative expenses and participant benefits. The decision leaves more than 42 million SNAP beneficiaries without food assistance as states exhaust their funds, with no benefits scheduled to issue November 1.
• Trump Administration Refuses to Use Emergency Funds for Food Assistance — The Trump administration has declined to utilize emergency funds to support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is at risk of running out of funds. This decision affects 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP, with significant numbers in states like Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts facing potential loss of food aid.
• Trump administration refuses to access SNAP contingency fund as 42 million Americans face benefit loss on November 1 — The Trump administration announced it will not tap the roughly $5 billion SNAP contingency reserve to prevent benefit disruptions beginning November 1, 2025, citing legal restrictions that the fund is reserved for situations when appropriations fall short, not when appropriations cease. The decision comes as the same administration simultaneously negotiates a $20 billion currency swap with Argentina and prepares an additional $20 billion in financing, totaling $40 billion in foreign economic support. USDA research indicates each $1 billion in SNAP cuts shrinks GDP by approximately $1.5 billion and eliminates over 13,000 jobs.
• Federal SNAP benefits suspended on November 1 due to government shutdown — The federal food-assistance program (SNAP), which serves approximately 42 million Americans, announced that no federal SNAP benefits will be issued on November 1 due to a government shutdown. The suspension occurs while the administration simultaneously expands militarized immigration enforcement and allocates billions for deportation operations.
• Trump administration withholds $6 billion SNAP contingency reserve — The Trump administration is withholding approximately $6 billion in contingency funds reserved for SNAP operations, funds that could sustain the program for three additional weeks beyond November 1, 2025. The administration asserts these funds are not legally available for regular benefits, contradicting its own September 30 guidance and the plain language of 2024 and 2025 appropriations bills. The decision to withhold funds is characterized in the article as politically motivated. If implemented, the withholding will affect 42 million Americans, including 20 million children, and trigger what hunger advocates warn could be "the greatest hunger crisis since the Great Depression."
• USDA declined to deploy SNAP contingency fund for November benefits — The USDA announced it will not access a $5 billion contingency reserve to cover November SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, citing "legal restrictions." The decision affects approximately 42 million recipients. The 50501 Movement published a survival guide including Depression-era recipes, food bank resources, and bartering strategies in response.