Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits frozen amid the government shutdown could restart this week. Bessent said there’s a “process that has to be followed,” but “President Trump wants to make sure that people get their food benefits.”
“So it could be done by Wednesday?” Tapper questioned Bessent.
“Could be,” Bessent answered. “And five Democratic senators could cross the aisle and open the government by Wednesday.”
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About one in eight Americans uses SNAP. It’s the largest food aid program in the country. In the 2025 fiscal year, 42 million people used SNAP, according to USDA figures.
When asked by Tapper if the administration would appeal two federal judges‘ rulings on using emergency funds to pay SNAP, Bessent said no. While one judge said in Rhode Island said this should be done immediately, a Boston judge gave officials until Monday to tell her whether they will use the contingency funds.
Court filings submitted by the Department of Justice stated the emergency fund has $5.3 billion in it, which falls short of the $9 billion needed to pay full benefits. However, on Friday both federal judges said the USDA can decide if they want to use $17 billion in tariff revenue to pay for the rest of November’s benefits.
Trump said in a Friday Truth Social post that he instructed lawyers to “ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.”
Like Bessent and other Republicans have been doing, Trump blamed “Radical Democrats” who “refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT” for confusion stemming from the shutdown. Democrats, though, say they are trying to protect Americans’ access to health care, as Republicans wanted to let them expire in a continuing resolution that would reopen the government. This resolution was passed by the House of Representatives, but has failed multiple times in the Senate.
