Luján Leads Entire Senate Democratic Caucus in Effort to Stop Trump Administration from Illegally Withholding Funding for Nutrition Assistance Programs That Feed American Families

President Trump: “We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible and bad for them like cutting vast numbers of people out. Cutting things they like, cutting programs they like.”

The Trump administration is required by law to use billions in available funding to keep SNAP benefits flowing in November; USDA’s own guidance confirmed its authority to use available funds during a shutdown

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, led the Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025, legislation that prevents the Trump administration from illegally withholding available funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Despite having billions of dollars ready and available to pay for SNAP, the Trump administration continues to play politics with the ability of Americans across the country to put food on the table. Not only does the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have the authority to release SNAP contingency funds, but the statute is clear: the Trump administration is required by law to release these funds.

The Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025 directs the USDA to immediately release billions of dollars in available funds to ensure SNAP and WIC benefits continue uninterrupted for the remainder of this fiscal year. The legislation also requires the federal government to reimburse states for covering SNAP benefits during a shutdown.

“Let me be clear: the Trump administration has the authority and the funds to keep SNAP running. No child, veteran, grandparent, or hardworking American should go hungry because of partisan politics,” said Senator Luján. “Congressional Republicans passed the largest cut to SNAP in history, and now the Trump administration is withholding billions in available funding to inflict maximum pain on the American people.

“42 million Americans, including 1 in every 5 New Mexicans, relies on SNAP to feed their families” continued Senator Luján. “That’s why I’m leading my colleagues to introduce legislation that would ensure the Trump administration immediately releases available funds to keep nutrition programs running.”

“Every president before Trump—Republican or Democrat—kept food on the table during a shutdown. Trump and Senate Republicans are the first in history to make the cruel and unprecedented decision to let tens of millions of Americans go hungry,” said Leader Schumer. “This pain doesn’t need to happen: Trump is choosing to inflict it on American families. He’s choosing cruelty over compassion, politics over people. Democrats’ bill would make sure no child, no parent, no veteran misses a meal because of Trump’s shutdown—and Republicans should help us pass it now, and fund SNAP and WIC before this hunger crisis hits home.”

“Food assistance has never stopped going to Americans in need during a government shutdown, and it shouldn’t stop now,” said Senator Klobuchar, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. “The fastest way to ensure that American families receive the food assistance they need is for the Administration to use resources they already have at their disposal. Choosing not to is unacceptable. Our bill would ensure food assistance from SNAP and WIC are not interrupted if this shutdown continues. Hungry families should never be used as political bargaining chips.”

“From sky-high rent prices to surging grocery costs, it’s clear that American families are struggling to keep up, and we cannot allow basic nutrition benefits to stop flowing right now. This legislation will ensure that families don’t go hungry – even if their representatives in Congress refuse to fund the government or even come to the negotiating table,” said Senator Warner.

“We applaud our Senator’s efforts to get badly needed SNAP funds to people in New Mexico who are at risk of missing their next meals,” said Katy Anderson, Vice President Strategy, Partnerships, and Advocacy at Roadrunner Food Bank.

In New Mexico, more than 450,000 people are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits if the USDA does not utilize available funding to continue the program. This includes more than 65,000 seniors and nearly 200,000 children across the state. While the New Mexico Legislature appropriated limited supplemental funds in response to the Republican Budget Betrayal, which gutted $187 billion from SNAP, those funds are unlikely to cover the temporary gap in benefits caused by the shutdown. New Mexico needs $81 million a month to fully fund SNAP.

Last week, Senator Luján led dozens of Senate Democrats in pressing the USDA to immediately release billions in available funds to keep Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits flowing through November. During debate on the Republican Budget Betrayal, Senator Luján spearheaded efforts to reverse the bill’s drastic cuts to food assistance.

Together with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, Senator Luján convened a Spotlight Forum titled “Hunger by Design: The GOP’s Assault on SNAP” to underscore the devastating impact of Congressional Republicans’ plan to gut SNAP.

The legislation is cosponsored by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

The full bill text of the legislation can be found here.

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