Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated on Sunday that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits might resume as early as this week. During his appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper, Bessent explained, “There’s a procedure that needs to be adhered to, and we need to determine exactly what that procedure entails.” He assured viewers that “President Trump is committed to ensuring that people receive their food benefits.”
In a moment of clarification, Tapper inquired, “So, is it possible this could be resolved by Wednesday?” Bessent responded, “It’s possible.”
Amidst ongoing discussions, President Trump on Friday expressed his willingness to fund SNAP if provided with “the appropriate legal guidance.” This development followed a federal judge’s directive for officials to allocate an emergency fund to support the program. Previously, the administration had resisted using these funds during the government shutdown, which has now extended beyond four weeks.
“Could be,” Bessent replied.
On Friday, President Trump signaled he would fund SNAP if pointed in “the appropriate legal direction” after a federal judge directed officials to use an emergency fund for the program. The administration was previously adamant that it would not utilize these funds amid the over four weeks-long government shutdown.
“Our Government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain monies we have available, and now two Courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do,” Trump posted on Truth Social Friday evening.
“I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT,” he continued.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) website said “the well has run dry” to issue SNAP benefits amid the government shutdown. On top of the page, the department pins the blame on Senate Democrats for the non-issuance of benefits, which began Saturday.
“Senate Democrats have now voted 13 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),” the page reads. “Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01.”
The current government shutdown follows months of building tensions between Republicans and Democrats amid Trump’s return to the presidency. SNAP is the latest sticking point amid funding negotiations, as about 40 million Americans lost help to pay their grocery bills.
There is around $5.25 billion in funding reserved to cover SNAP in November, but it does not fully cover the $9.2 billion that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has said the federal government would have to use to pay for the program.
