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When will SNAP benefits be restored? What we know as US government shutdown ends
USDA spokesperson Alec Varsamis shared an update about restoration of SNAP benefits after the longest government shutdown in US history ended on Wednesday.
Millions of Americans who rely on the paused Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) might receive payments as soon as 24 hours after the government shutdown ends. The longest government shutdown in US history ended on Wednesday, November 12, with President Donald Trump signing a bill to reopen the government.
USDA spokesperson Alec Varsamis said in a statement on Wednesday that most states will get the funds to distribute benefits “within 24 hours,” once the government reopens, according to Politico. The House is expected to pass the funding package and send it to President Trump’s desk Wednesday night. The deal would restore the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to its original spending levels.
Read More | US senate passes bill to end government shutdown, awaits final House vote
The spending package aimed at ending the shutdown includes a bill that would fund the USDA through the end of the fiscal year 2026. Funding for SNAP will also be restored through September 2026, according to USA Today.
However, even after the shutdown ends, some states might see delays in returning SNAP benefit insurances to normal levels. This could happen because they have paused their typical processes for readying the funds amid the shutdown.
Meanwhile, Colorado Governor Jared Polis confirmed in a release that “Colorado is moving to deliver 100% of November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments as rapidly as possible to approximately 600,000 Coloradans. Participants can expect to see the funds on their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards starting as soon as Thursday, the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) announced. This is a pivot from the State’s previously announced move to begin processing 65% of SNAP benefits as authorized by the federal government on Saturday November 8.”
“The federal government is finally reopening, and hardworking Americans will no longer be caught in the middle of Washington’s dysfunction. I thank Colorado’s food banks, the Department of Human Services, and our local communities for their efforts during this unprecedented time. Keeping people from going hungry should always remain a top priority,” Polis said.
What Donald Trump said
Trump wrote about SNAP benefits in a November 4 Truth Social post, saying, “SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly “handed” to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before! Thank you for your attention to this matter. “
Read More | US Supreme Court lets Trump withhold $4 billion in food aid funding for now
The House voted to pass the funding bill it received from the Senate in a 222-209 vote. This will finally restart paychecks for federal workers, fund food assistance programs, and pay air traffic controllers. The legislation finally “reopens the government, restores critical services, and puts an end to the needless hardship Democrats have inflicted on the country,” said GOP House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, according to the New York Post.
