Schumer, Gillibrand Demand The Trump Administration Stop Cruelly Denying SNAP Benefits, And Push To Fully Fund SNAP & WIC To Stop GOP-Manufactured Hunger Crisis During Trump[...]

Schumer, Gillibrand Demand The Trump Administration Stop Cruelly Denying SNAP Benefits, And Push To Fully Fund SNAP & WIC To Stop GOP-Manufactured Hunger Crisis During Trump Shutdown

Oct 30, 2025

Nearly 3 Million New Yorkers Rely On SNAP To Put Food On The Table, But Trump Is Now Denying Funding, Despite His Own USDA Saying They Could Keep Funds Flowing

Schumer and Gillibrand are pushing for legislation that would make sure SNAP & WIC continue uninterrupted during the Republican government shutdown

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) held a virtual press conference to demand the Trump administration stop cruelly withholding available funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). While Republicans continue to deny this vital assistance, despite having the ability to keep food assistance flowing, the senators announced they are pushing new legislation - the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025 - to continue these vital food programs for working families during the GOP shutdown.

"For the first time in history, a president, Donald Trump, is refusing to fund SNAP during a shutdown despite the fact that he has the available funds to keep it going. Forty-two million Americans, including nearly three million New Yorkers, will lose their SNAP benefits, not because the money's gone, because Donald Trump cruelly ordered it stopped," said Senator Schumer. "Trump is weaponizing hunger. He is using kids who rely on school meals, seniors on fixed incomes, veterans & families trying to get groceries as political pawns. If this administration can cough up $40 billion for Argentina, they can fund SNAP from existing funds to stop American families from going hungry. Senate Democrats are not waiting, we are ready to pass legislation to ensure food continues to keep SNAP & WIC funded, and so kids, moms, seniors and veterans aren't left behind. We are willing to work with anyone to get this bill on the floor and stop this cruelty and avert this avoidable crisis."

"In refusing to fund SNAP during the government shutdown, the Trump administration is playing politics with my constituents' lives. But for families that are already stretched thin, this decision is more than political-it's a matter of survival," said Senator Gillibrand. "SNAP is a lifeline for nearly 3 million New Yorkers, and we must make sure that these critical benefits remain available to the families that rely on them to put food on the table. That's why I'm demanding that the Trump administration use the funding at their disposal to fund SNAP without delay."

SNAP is the largest anti-hunger program in the United States, providing an average of $187 per month in food aid to over 42 million people nationwide-including nearly 3 million New Yorkers. Despite having billions of dollars ready and available to pay for SNAP in a contingency fund, the Trump administration is refusing to tap into this fund. Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand called on the administration to immediately make this money available to help keep SNAP benefits flowing until the government reopens.

Despite having billions of dollars ready and available to pay for SNAP, the Trump administration continues to withhold available funds and play politics with the ability of Americans across the country to put food on the table. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had a plan to release SNAP contingency funds, but Trump forced the USDA to abandon their shutdown contingency plan, making this Saturday the first time in American history SNAP benefits will lapse for hungry children, veterans, seniors, and other Americans.

Schumer and Gillibrand are demanding Republican leadership allow the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025 to come for a full vote, which would ensure that SNAP and WIC benefits continue uninterrupted during this Republican shutdown. The legislation additionally requires the federal government to reimburse states for covering SNAP and WIC benefits for the duration of the shutdown. The senators also joined 44 other Democrats in a letter to the Trump administration demanding that they immediately release the billions of dollars at their disposal to fund SNAP.

Since the beginning of his term, Trump has targeted food assistance for hungry Americans. Earlier this year, Trump already gutted nearly $200 billion from SNAP in the Republican "Big, Beautiful Bill," and canceled $1 billion in food assistance for schools and food banks.

The text of the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025 is available here.

The text of Schumer and Gillibrand's letter to the Trump administration is available here.

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