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As a federal shutdown drags on, advocates warn that SNAP benefits could be halted on 1 November, imperiling food aid for 42 million people. The USDA has told regional directors to hold payments “until further notice,” even as more than 200 Democratic lawmakers urge the agency to tap contingency funds. Republicans blame Democrats, but anti-hunger leaders call that misleading, noting a CBO estimate that Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act already stripped nearly $187bn from SNAP through 2024. Personal stories from Minnesota to Kentucky underscore the stakes, after a USDA spokesperson inaccurately linked ACA subsidies to undocumented immigrants.

Prepared by Christopher Adams and reviewed by editorial team.