Republicans Block Full SNAP Benefits From Being Paid Out This Month

Source: Newsweek

Published Nov 04, 2025 at 03:04 AM EST updated Nov 04, 2025 at 05:01 AM EST


Senate Republicans have blocked a push by Democrats to restore full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which has seen its resources run out over the weekend because of the ongoing government shutdown.

Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer put forward a resolution backed by 44 Democrats in the upper house demanding that SNAP benefits be immediately restored for the roughly 42 million Americans who rely on the program to feed their families.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) would have been forced to release enough funds to support the delivery of SNAP benefits for November—an estimated $8 billion—if the measure had been passed.

However, Republicans blocked the initiative after Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso objected. He called the move a “political stunt,” adding that reopening the government would be the easiest way to restore benefits.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-block-full-snap-benefits-from-being-paid-out-this-month-10986811