As we approach the government’s reopening, SNAP is still grappling with significant cuts and considerable uncertainty about the program’s future. This has led to many questions about those in power and the use of federal funds. As someone who has been, on multiple occasions, reliant on this program, I aim to be the voice of those most affected by any budget cuts to SNAP: children. Obviously, there is a sort of political “taboo,” if you will, when it comes to these sorts of things, a “taboo” I really don’t care to sidestep. If we want to fix problems, we must first discuss them; how else are we to find amicable solutions to these obstacles? Now that we have the prerequisites out of the way, let’s dive in. 
The red flags of warning began waving as the murmurs of a looming federal government shutdown echoed through the streets of our nation in late September. Sure enough, a bill to prevent the shutdown failed to pass, leading to the longest shutdown in U.S. history, which, at the time of writing, is still going. As of October 31st, two judges had ordered the government to partially fund the program, despite the shutdown. Trump’s administration agreed, even pledging to provide up to 65% of regular benefits. However, a judge ruled that full funding must continue through November, even if it requires the use of contingency funds. This order was blocked by the Supreme Court, and was still through Thursday.
This week, the Senate and House have approved a funding bill that would reopen the government and resolve these issues with SNAP through September 2026. The final step in passing the bill is Trump signing it into effect, which just happened last night. While the bill is important, its language has stirred some controversy. The bill would, along with opening the government, among other things, ban hemp products. This article isn’t an opinion on hemp; it’s just interesting that lawmakers took time to include it, as the government is still shut down, and at a time we should be focused on feeding families instead of pushing through hasty legislation that has a big impact on the livelihood of many Americans.
In short, over the weekend, California, Hawaii, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin all began issuing full payments, per Newsweek. However, many other states still haven’t followed suit, only paying out some of the month’s benefits. Thus, more families go hungry. This is such an issue because in less stable or lower-income households, the children will be left with an extra pang of hunger as we shift into the winter season. The time has come for people to stand up to their elected officials and demand more of those in charge of our economy.
My recommendation is to complain. Complain until this issue is resolved. There shouldn’t be peaceful complacency with a regime that fails to properly take care of its own citizens. The way I see it, if we can send hundreds of billions of dollars in missiles and defense funding to other nations, we should be able to help struggling Americans put food on the table.
