U.S. Spent Over $1,000 per person in Gaza on Food/Aid - but 13th try to pass clean CR... - SNAP

Domestic Hunger Looms as Shutdown Stalls SNAP Funding: Critics Blast Gaza Aid Priorities

WASHINGTON, D.C. — October 28, 2025 — As the federal government shutdown stretches into its fourth week, millions of low-income Americans teeter on the brink of losing vital food assistance, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issuing a stark warning: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November will not be issued unless Congress acts swiftly. The impasse over a continuing resolution (CR) has left 42 million SNAP recipients—about one in eight Americans—scrambling for alternatives like food banks, even as the U.S. pours billions into humanitarian aid for Gaza, sparking accusations of misplaced priorities.

The shutdown, triggered on October 1 after lawmakers failed to enact fiscal year 2026 appropriations, marks the second-longest in U.S. history. At its core is a partisan standoff: House Republicans, backed by the Trump administration, demand deep cuts to domestic programs like Medicaid as a condition for reopening the government, while Senate Democrats have rejected such proposals a dozen times.

 "This isn't governance; it's gamesmanship," fumed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in a floor speech yesterday. "Families are going hungry here at home, and all the while, we're writing checks for overseas aid that dwarfs what we're willing to invest in our own people."The SNAP crisis underscores the human toll. The program, which provides an average of $187 monthly per household to combat food insecurity, relies on monthly federal allocations to states. October benefits cleared without issue, but the USDA's Friday memo declared the "well has run dry" for November, citing insufficient funds and refusing to tap a $6 billion contingency reserve.

 Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins defended the decision, blaming Democrats for blocking CRs and insisting the fund is reserved for "supplemental" needs, not full operations during a lapse.

In response, more than two dozen Democratic-led states filed suit against the USDA on Monday, arguing the administration is legally obligated to use contingency funds to prevent a benefits cliff.

 "This is a manufactured crisis," said California Attorney General Rob Bonta, lead plaintiff in the case. "SNAP isn't optional—it's a lifeline. Denying it now is cruel and unlawful." Anti-hunger advocates, including Feeding America, estimate the lapse could drive up demand at local pantries by 30%, overwhelming already strained resources. In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, state agencies have halted new issuances, urging recipients to stockpile shelf-stable goods.

Compounding the outrage is the stark contrast with U.S. commitments abroad. Since the Gaza conflict escalated in October 2023, the U.S. has disbursed over $2.4 billion in humanitarian aid to the West Bank and Gaza—encompassing food, medical supplies, and emergency relief—through partners like the World Food Programme and the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

 With Gaza's population hovering at 2.3 million, that equates to roughly $1,043 per person over two years, a figure that has drawn fire from fiscal conservatives and progressive lawmakers alike.

"Over $1,000 per Gazan for aid, while we're nickel-and-diming our own veterans and kids on SNAP? It's hypocritical," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posted on X over the weekend, echoing a sentiment gaining traction amid the shutdown. The Trump administration, however, touts the Gaza funding as a national security imperative, with $30 million allocated to GHF in June alone to deliver 1.8 million meals in its chaotic debut rollout—despite U.N. warnings of violence at distribution sites.

 State Department officials defend the expenditures, noting they've sustained over 885,000 daily meals in Gaza amid famine risks, but critics argue the funds could be redirected domestically without compromising foreign policy.On Capitol Hill, bipartisan frustration simmers. House Republicans advanced a "clean" CR last week to avert the SNAP cutoff, but it stalled in the Senate over demands for spending transparency.

 Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) floated extending the stopgap into 2026, but appropriators balked, fearing it would lock in outdated funding levels.

 Meanwhile, a lone Republican bill, the Keep SNAP Funded Act introduced by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), seeks to bridge the gap until full appropriations pass—but it lacks Democratic co-sponsors and faces dim prospects.

As November 1 looms, the clock ticks louder. Food banks in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles report stockpiling emergencies, while economists warn of ripple effects: a potential $8 billion hit to grocery retailers and heightened child malnutrition rates.

Moreover, food banks have already nearly run dry do to the illegal immigrant population in places like Chicago and Los Angeles.