Key Differences in New SNAP Proposals from Democrats and Republicans Unveiled

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Amidst the ongoing government shutdown, both Democrats and Republicans are racing against time to pass competing bills that aim to secure funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through November. Without intervention, the distribution of these crucial benefits is set to halt by Saturday.

On Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins highlighted the legal restrictions preventing her department from utilizing its contingency fund to sustain SNAP. Rollins explained that a staggering $9.2 billion is needed to keep the program afloat through November, a sum currently unavailable due to the shutdown.

SNAP serves as a lifeline for approximately 41.7 million Americans, according to the Department of Agriculture’s fiscal 2024 data. That year, the program required $99.8 billion, averaging $187.20 per participant each month.

In response, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025, aimed at maintaining food aid across the nation until the nearly month-long shutdown concludes. The USDA can access its necessary funds through appropriations or temporary measures to ensure continuity.

The bill has the backing of 10 Republicans, including Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), Katie Britt (Ala.) and John Cornyn (Texas). Hawley’s bill also has support from one Democrat, Sen. Peter Welch (Vt.).

“There is no reason any of these residents of my state or any other American who qualifies for food assistance should go hungry. We can afford to provide the help,” Hawley wrote in a Tuesday op-ed for The New York Times.

Hawley argued that spending on food aid was not something that was optional, despite Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-S.C.) criticism of legislation isolated to certain sectors impacted by the shutdown.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) also introduced a companion bill in the House that would keep the food aid program funded.

“More than 262,000 Iowans, including over 100,000 children, rely on SNAP to put food on the table. They cannot afford to be ‘leverage’ in the Democrats’ political games,” Miller-Meeks said in a statement. “That’s why I’m introducing legislation to ensure SNAP remains funded throughout the shutdown. Access to food is not negotiable.”

But as Republicans gear up for a potential vote on Hawley’s bill, Democrats on Tuesday announced their own alternative to keeping SNAP benefits funded through November. Sen. Ben Ray Luján’s (D-N.M.) bill requires the Trump administration to fund SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, which provides essential nutrition assistance for lower-income mothers. States would then be reimbursed for funding those benefits during the shutdown.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Luján, flanked by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), all condemned USDA for not tapping into its emergency funding to keep SNAP benefits issued. He said the Trump administration, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), and USDA justified letting over 40 million people “go hungry.”

“That’s bulls—,” Luján said. “I come from a small farm. I know the difference of good soil and the bulls— that goes in it, and this is bulls—.”

Luján later recollected something former New Mexico Gov. Bruce King (D) used to say: if people cannot agree to a solution, “sometimes you’ve got to lock them up in a barn until they come up with a solution.”

“Well Mr. President, come back from jetting around the world,” Luján said, referring to President Trump’s Asia trip. “Come back to the White House. President Trump said it’s up to a president to prevent a shutdown. He said it does not bode well for presidents if there’s a shutdown. Well, come on back.”

Luján intends to seek unanimous consent on the Senate floor for his bill on Wednesday.

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Key Differences in New SNAP Proposals from Democrats and Republicans Unveiled

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Key Differences in New SNAP Proposals from Democrats and Republicans Unveiled

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