Oh SNAP

Funding for grocery support is expected to run dry on Saturday.

As the shutdown drags into Day 29, SNAP—the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that helps 42M people (roughly one in eight U.S. residents) afford groceries—is set to halt benefits on November 1 unless Congress acts.

Friday, the USDA announced it can’t legally use its $5B contingency fund to cover regular SNAP payments since it’s reserved for emergencies like natural disasters. States and food banks are scrambling to fill gaps temporarily, but both warn they can’t replace federal aid.

Meanwhile, pressure from governors, food banks, and advocacy groups is mounting on lawmakers to find a deal before the weekend. Yesterday, 26 states and D.C. sued the White House, calling the looming cutoff “contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious.”

Verse to consider as announcements spark heated emotions… “Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity… Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”
Ephesians 4:25-27, 31-32 (CSB) (read full passage)