USDA officials notified states that funding for SNAP benefits would be frozen in November due to the government shutdown

By Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle

The one in six Oregonians who rely on federal SNAP food and nutrition assistance to pay for groceries each month will be left with nothing in November due to the ongoing government shutdown, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Human Services.

The federal government funds nearly all the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, with states administering the program. But USDA wrote to states on Oct. 10 that they should not distribute November assistance if Congress’ lapse in appropriations continued, because there would be insufficient funding to send to states for their program beneficiaries.

On Monday, the USDA notified states that there would be no November funding, and Oregon’s human services agency on Monday notified recipients they would not be receiving the assistance after Oct. 31.

Oregon’s acting human services director, Liesl Wendt, said in a statement that they would keep SNAP recipients informed throughout the shutdown about any further delays or lapses in assistance beyond November.

“In the meantime, during this time of uncertainty, we encourage everyone who receives SNAP to familiarize themselves with the free food resources in their community and to make a plan for what they will do if they do not receive their food benefits in November on time,” Wendt said.

More than 42 million Americans, and more than 750,000 Oregonians, rely on the program. Among Oregon recipients, more than one-quarter are children and nearly 20% are adults 65 and older.

“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,” Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, said in a statement.

Trump has said he would ensure back pay to federal immigration and border police, Transportation Security Administration police, Secret Service and FBI agents when the shutdown ends. He and his administration have not been clear about what assistance, if any, will be offered retroactively to SNAP beneficiaries when the shutdown ends.

USDA has already reallocated more than $300 million in tariff revenue into its Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, through Oct. 31.

The shutdown started Oct. 1 after Congress failed to find a bipartisan path forward on a short-term government spending bill.

Senate Democrats have pushed for negotiations to extend enhanced tax credits meant to help Americans afford health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace, which are set to expire by the end of the year.

Republicans have insisted on passing a short-term government funding bill that does not address rising insurance premiums.

The GOP mega bill passed by Congressional Republicans in July includes $200 billion in cuts to SNAP during the next decade, along with new work and income requirements that are likely to cause about 2 million Americans to lose assistance, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Alex Baumhardt has been a national radio producer focusing on education for American Public Media since 2017. She has reported from the Arctic to the Antarctic for national and international media, and from Minnesota and Oregon for The Washington Post. This story first appeared in the Oregon Capital Chronicle.