By Garrett Zhou

Hey everyone, it’s Garrett again, here with another blog post. Today, we’ll be discussing a crucial issue raised during the government shutdown: SNAP. When the government shut down, they were unable to grant millions of people their SNAP benefits. People knew about SNAP before, sure, but they didn’t know the extent to which SNAP was distributed across the nation. Today, I’ll not only break down the issue, but I’ll also provide my opinions on the issue backed by evidence. 

SNAP. What does that even mean? What does it stand for? SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrient Assistance Program. It’s the main federal program that helps low-income individuals and their families buy groceries. Typically, SNAP benefits are reimbursed onto the recipients’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards (Bleich). For millions of households around the country, SNAP accounts for a significant portion of the income spent on groceries. A cutoff of this aid would be harmful to millions around the country by limiting their capacity to suppress hunger ( Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance). 

So, what does a government shutdown mean for SNAP itself and the families it benefits? SNAP is a government program, meaning it is funded by the government as well. In this case, SNAP is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, if Congress chooses to block funding, states will not receive the money needed in order to distribute the benefits (Feeding America Action). 

As many of you already know, in October 2025, the longest government shutdown in history began. This shutdown really brought to light the true scale of hunger in one of the most industrialized countries in the world. As of November 1st, SNAP benefits were slated to ‘lapse’, meaning many households could lose access to financial assistance until funding was ultimately resumed. However, the immediate impact wasn’t felt in many states with built-up benefits, which were able to distribute assistance in October and even in November. Once the government shutdown ended, Congress acted quickly to restore funding (Teachers College). However, this disruption caused heavy uncertainty. For many families relying on SNAP, lost funding can mean skipped meals, harder bills, or increased reliance on charitable organizations. 

Over 40 million Americans rely on SNAP to pay for groceries. That’s over 12% of the population (USA Facts). For many of these households, SNAP isn’t a side benefit – it’s needed in order to make ends meet. A disruption like the government shutdown can cause a trade-off between utilities, meals, rent, or medical care. Food banks and communities themselves often cannot absorb the increased demand that a SNAP pause brings, meaning more families risk hunger and food insecurity.

This is an absurd number, and I believe it’s too large. If SNAP is not essential to your well-being, then benefits shouldn’t be given out. 40 million is far too many people relying on governmental assistance in order to accomplish something as simple as paying for groceries. This is a systematic error, and one that I believe can and will be fixed. My solution is simple, and it has two key parts: first, reduce housing prices. Private equity (PE) firms have bought many properties around the country, and this has allowed them to jack up rent prices. Rent is out of control, and decreasing rent is the first step in helping allocate more income towards groceries in order to reduce the number of families who need SNAP. Second, I want to allow for more charitable donations in communities to relieve pressure on SNAP. With more consistent donations, food banks and soup kitchens become more reliable. To see my exact steps to achieve this goal, look for my next blog post coming soon.

Today, I’ve shown you the basics of SNAP and how the government shutdown impacted its funding. It’s critical to maintain funding for those who need it. I also discussed possible policy implementations that can reduce the number of people relying on SNAP. Hopefully, my policy changes can lead to a Better Tomorrow. As always, thanks for reading, and see you next time. 

Bibliography

Bleich, Sara. “Explainer: Understanding the SNAP program—and what cuts to

     these benefits may mean.” Harvard Kennedy School, 10 Nov. 2025,

     www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-research/policy-topics/social-policy/

     explainer-understanding-snap-program-and-what-cuts?.com. Accessed 10 Dec.

     2025.

“Federal Government Shutdown: November SNAP Benefits.” Office of Temporary and

     Disability Assistance, New York State, otda.ny.gov/

     snap-benefits-shutdown-faq.asp?.com. Accessed 10 Dec. 2025.

“Government Shutdown Impacts on Food Security.” Feeding America Action, Feeding

     America, feedingamericaaction.org/resources/

     government-shutdown-impacts-on-food-security/?.com.

     Accessed 10 Dec. 2025.

“Closer Look: How SNAP Cuts Will Impact Critical Food Access.” Teachers College,

     Columbia University, http://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2025/october/

     closer-look-how-snap-cuts-will-impact-critical-food-access/?.com. Accessed

     10 Dec. 2025.

Team, USA Facts. “How will the government shutdown impact SNAP?” USA Facts, 31

     Oct. 2025, usafacts.org/articles/

     does-the-government-shutdown-affect-snap-benefits/?.com. Accessed 10 Dec.

     2025.