Tell the USDA to release $5 billion in SNAP reserves!

On November 1, over 41 million people could miss the SNAP benefits they need to eat. USDA has a $5 billion contingency reserve — and, according to Reuters, an internal memo shows the agency won’t use it to fund November benefits. That’s a choice, not an inevitability.

This crisis didn’t come out of nowhere. The Hill reports that Congress’s “Big Beautiful Bill” cut SNAP by $186 billion over the next decade, gutting food assistance for working families and young adults. Now, as The Guardian notes, governors are declaring emergencies over the looming shutdown of food aid — warning that states cannot fill the federal gap.

The USDA has the authority and the money to act right now. But they’ll only do it if the public demands it. Every signature adds pressure on USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to use the contingency reserve, release November benefits, and stop an avoidable hunger crisis before it begins.

Families shouldn’t be collateral damage in a D.C. standoff. CNN and Politico both report that SNAP is one of the most effective anti-hunger programs in U.S. history — every dollar in benefits generates over $1.50 in local economic activity. Ending or delaying SNAP doesn’t just hurt families — it hurts communities.

Add your name to tell the USDA to release the full $5 billion reserve and pay November SNAP benefits — before it’s too late.

Thanks,
Mary