Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, insisted Friday that the Trump administration is doing everything it can to keep a nutrition program for low-income women and children afloat during the shutdown, but declined to say if the White House would tap into the program’s contingency funds.
Speaking with reporters at the White House, Mr. Hassett said Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought is working on ways to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funded during the shutdown.
SNAP offers roughly 40 million low-income Americans money each month to buy groceries. Nearly 75% of SNAP recipients have a gross monthly income at or below the poverty level, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program.
“Nobody wants people not to have the food that they need, and we urge Democrats to get the government open,” Mr. Hassett said. “Russ is doing everything he can to make sure the most essential policies are still able to be funded with the money that we have.”
When asked if the White House would use SNAP contingency funds, Mr. Hassett said, “Russ Vought will get back to you on that.”
When the shutdown began this month, the Trump administration diverted $300 million in tariff revenue to keep SNAP going. However, several states warned that they may run out of money in November, when the tariff cash is exhausted.
New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Texas and Pennsylvania are among the states that have issued notices to SNAP recipients.
“Starting October 16, SNAP benefits will not be paid until the federal government shutdown ends and funds are released to PA,” reads a notice on the Pennsylvania website.
“The Trump administration has the resources now, including through an emergency contingency fund that has about $5 billion in it, to ensure that not a single American goes hungry if they refuse to reopen the government on November 1,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat. “Not a single American should go hungry.”
Mr. Jeffries contends that President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill cut a chunk out of SNAP assistance.
The United States Conference of Mayors, a nonpartisan organization that represents over 1,400 city mayors, sent a letter to Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins on Thursday, urging her to use “all available resources, including the SNAP contingency fund,” to prevent benefits from being delayed.
The organization said the Trump administration is legally required to dip into the contingency fund and should have “taken steps weeks ago to be ready to use these funds.”
During the government shutdown of 2018-19, which also occurred under Mr. Trump, the USDA disbursed the contingency funds to prevent benefits from running out.
However, the $5 billion covers only 60% of a month’s worth of benefits, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank focused on policies to help low-income families.
The shutdown is now the second-longest in history and likely to continue through the weekend, with the Senate recessed until next week and Mr. Trump leaving Washington late Friday for a weeklong trip to Asia.
Senators left Thursday after failing to advance legislation that aimed to pay essential workers, such as military troops or immigration enforcement agents, despite the funding lapse.
• Lindsey McPherson contributed to this story.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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