Marcy Kaptur
10/24/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/24/2025 12:33
Kaptur Joins Hayes, and Craig in leading House Democrats In Urging USDA To Take Immediate Action To Fund SNAPPress ReleaseTradeJobs and the EconomyHealth Care
Washington, DC - Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), a senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, joined Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), and House Committee on Agriculture Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02), and 212 House Democrats in sending a letter to US Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, to urge the agency to use contingency reserve dollars to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown. With no resolution to a bipartisan path forward to reopen the government, SNAP funding is set to lapse on November 1st, putting 42 million children and families at risk of experiencing hunger.
There is enough in the SNAP contingency reserve to cover nearly two-thirds of the amount needed for a full month of benefits. As such, the Members also advocate for the agency to use statutory transfer authority or any other legal means to supplement shortfalls the contingency reserve cannot cover.
"Now more than ever, millions of families across the country depend upon the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to make ends meet. For far too many veterans, seniors, and children, SNAP benefits are the difference between having food or not," wrote the Members. "Now, due to the government shutdown, they are facing crippling levels of uncertainty about whether they will be able to afford food next month. A potential lapse in benefits would be felt by Americans of all ages and affect every corner and congressional district in the country."
"We urge USDA to use these funds for November SNAP benefits and issue clear guidance to states on how to navigate benefit issuance. Additionally, while the contingency reserve will not cover November benefits in full, we urge USDA to use its statutory transfer authority or any other legal authority at its disposal to supplement these dollars and fully fund November benefits. There are clear steps the administration can and must take immediately to ensure that millions of families across the country can put food on their table in November. Choosing not to ensure SNAP benefits reach those in need this November would be a gross dereliction of your responsibilities to the American people."
As a senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, Congresswoman Kaptur has long been a champion in the fight to end hunger in the United States and globally, and to expand programs that allow American farmers, producers, and growers to find additional markets by helping to feed Americans in need. When Republicans passed HR 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, she joined her colleagues in highlighting the devastating impact on SNAP benefits for the most vulnerable. The legislation eliminated $187 Billion from the SNAP program and imposes undue barriers to farmers, producers, and growers in Ohio and across America. The reluctance of the Trump Administration to step in and fund the program builds upon previous efforts at weakening SNAP and other federal nutrition assistance programs.
The letter is also signed by Representatives: Alma Adams (NC-12), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Becca Balint (VT), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Ami Bera (CA-06), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Ed Case (HI-01), Sean Casten (IL-06), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Joaquin Castro (T-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), James E Clyburn (SC-06), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), J. Louis Correa (CA-46), Jim Costa (CA-21), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Jason Crow (CO-06), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Danny Davis (IL-07), Donald Davis (NC-01), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Bill Foster (IL-11), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Adam Gray (CA-13), Al Green (TX-09), Josh Harder (CA-09), Pablo Hernández (PR- At Large), James Himes (CT-04), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn Ivey MD-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Henry Johnson (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), William; Keating (MA-09), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Timothy Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi(IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), John Larson (CT-01), George Latimer (NY-16), Summer Lee (PA-12), Susie Lee (NV-03), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted Lieu(CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), John Mannion (NY-22), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Sarah McBride (DE-At Large), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Joseph Morelle (NY-25), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Frank Mrvan (IN-01), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Richard Neal (MA-01), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Donald Norcross (NJ-01),Eleanor Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Scott Peters (CA-50), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Josh Riley (NY-19), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Patrick Ryan (NY-18), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Bradley Schneider (IL-10), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Kim Schrier (WA-08), David Scott (GA-13), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Darren Soto (FL-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Derek Tran (CA-45), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), George Whitesides (CA-27), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).
Full text of the letter is available by clicking hereor reading below:
The Honorable Brooke Rollins
Secretary US Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250
Dear Madam Secretary,
Right now, millions of Americans are struggling to afford food due to the Administration's ill-conceived trade war. Just this year, we've seen household staples like eggs, coffee, and ground beef hit record high prices. Now more than ever, millions of families across the country depend upon the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to make ends meet. For far too many veterans, seniors, and children, SNAP benefits are the difference between having food or not. Now, due to the government shutdown, they are facing crippling levels of uncertainty about whether they will be able to afford food next month.
A potential lapse in benefits would be felt by Americans of all ages and affect every corner and congressional district in the country. As the largest food assistance program in the United States, SNAP serves 42 million people. That includes 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans.
That is why we were deeply concerned to see your comments suggesting that SNAP will run out of funding in two weeks and that no SNAP benefits will be issued in November. USDA's shutdown plan acknowledges that "Congressional intent is evident that SNAP's operations should continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds..." USDA still has significant funding available in SNAP's contingency reserve - which Congress provides precisely for this reason - that can be used to fund the bulk of November benefits.
We urge USDA to use these funds for November SNAP benefits and issue clear guidance to states on how to navigate benefit issuance. Additionally, while the contingency reserve will not cover November benefits in full, we urge USDA to use its statutory transfer authority or any other legal authority at its disposal to supplement these dollars and fully fund November benefits.
There are clear steps the administration can and must take immediately to ensure that millions of families across the country can put food on their table in November. Choosing not to ensure SNAP benefits reach those in need this November would be a gross dereliction of your responsibilities to the American people. We appreciate your consideration of these requests.
Sincerely,
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Marcy Kaptur published this content on October 24, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 24, 2025 at 18:33 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]