With benefits expected to run out Saturday because of the government shutdown, Democratic leaders of 25 states allege the USDA is required to keep providing funds.

An average of 41.7 million people, or 12.3 % of the U.S. population, received SNAP benefits each month in Fiscal Year 2024, according to the USDA. October 2025 reports indicate that about 42 million Americans participate in SNAP monthly.

The city of Flint is making plans to launch a food voucher program to help households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program if benefits are suspended starting on Saturday, Nov. 1.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday announced that Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA) will deliver benefits to people who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If the shutdown hasn’t ended by Nov. 1, VENA will begin weekly distributions on Monday.

The Executive Council has approved a plan to help Granite Staters who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as benefits are set to stop amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

The plan detailed how the agency would use the contingency fund provided by Congress to continue benefits. The fund holds roughly $6 billion, about two-thirds of a month of SNAP benefits, meaning USDA would still have to reshuffle an additional $3 billion to cover the remainder for November.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the launch of the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance program (VENA), a state-funded initiative designed to support Virginians

Some state lawmakers want to give grants to food assistance programs to help offset the potential loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) support.