SNAP Benefits in Jeopardy: How the Government Shutdown is Affecting Texas Families
As the federal government shutdown enters its fourth week with no resolution in sight, millions of Americans who rely on food assistance face an unprecedented crisis. More than 3.4 million low-income Texans rely on SNAP benefits to supplement their grocery budget with fruits, vegetables and other foods, and they may not receive their November benefits if the shutdown continues past Monday, October 27.
The Immediate Threat to Food Security
The situation is dire. Nearly 42 million people in the U.S. who get federal food assistance are in danger of seeing their benefits disappear because of the ongoing federal shutdown. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in an October 10 letter to state agencies that if the shutdown continued, there would be “insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits” for approximately 42 million Americans who rely on the program.
For Texas families, this means food stamp benefits, which go to 1.7 million children, would not be distributed in November under an extended shutdown. The monthly impact is staggering: Those benefits amount to around $617 million per month.
Real Families, Real Struggles
The human toll of this policy impasse cannot be overstated. One single mother of four kids said, “I am extremely concerned about how I am going to put food on the table next month. We will be surviving day by day if this shutdown continues. It’s very scary, very stressful, and is keeping me on edge”.
In Gatesville, Heather Penny told reporters her family has been struggling since February when she lost her job caring for her grandmother. With her fiancé as the only one working, every paycheck goes straight to bills and their mortgage, and they’re already behind. For her son with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, the prospect of rationing food even further is particularly traumatic.
Austin resident Chevas Watson, who supports his partner, three children, and another family member on an $11-an-hour job, faces losing his $615 monthly benefit. “That’s how we feed the kids, but it’s also how we stretch meals through the week. And also through the end of the month and so without it we will be choosing between food and bills. I already plan every meal with my partner to the dollar and if that card doesn’t load in November there’s no back up plan”.
The Political Battle: Who’s to Blame?
The shutdown has devolved into a bitter partisan blame game, with both sides pointing fingers while millions of Americans face food insecurity.
Republicans’ Position
Dems are losing it over the Space Shuttle while refusing to open the government, leading to vital food programs like SNAP shutting down.
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) October 23, 2025
While they prioritize spouting false Smithsonian talking points, the shutdown continues and their constituents miss paychecks & gov’t… https://t.co/1mhegqAhrh
A food bank in Killeen, Texas has seen a 60% increase in military families seeking food during the shutdown.
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 24, 2025
Katherine Clark, the #2 Democrat in the House, said Democrats are using these suffering families as “leverage.”
Democrats care more about illegal aliens than our…
The Trump administration blamed Democrats, with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins repeating a false health care talking point Oct. 16 on X: “Democrats are putting free health care for illegal aliens and their political agenda ahead of food security for American families”.
Sen. John Cornyn said on the floor Monday, “Texans who rely upon SNAP as a safety net to buy their groceries and feed their children will not have those benefits until this deranged shutdown comes to an end,” while blaming Senate Democrats for the funding impacts.
Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency, calling it “the Democrat Shutdown” and announcing the Commonwealth would provide food benefits until Congressional Democrats act.
The Democrat Shutdown will cause SNAP benefits to run out for over 850,000 Virginians in need starting November 1, 2025. I refuse to let hungry Virginians be used as ‘leverage’ by Congressional Democrats. I am declaring a State of Emergency due to the Democrat Shutdown to protect…
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) October 23, 2025
Democrats’ Response
With complete federal control, Trump is about to add a hunger crisis to the health care crisis he created. Starting Monday, and by the end of November, 3.7 million Texans, who rely on SNAP, will lose assistance.
— Lloyd Doggett (@RepLloydDoggett) October 24, 2025
Trump can immediately prevent this by using his contingency… pic.twitter.com/6FVBR4uhhj
Everyone should know: Trump is choosing to take money for food from millions of Americans.
— Congressman Greg Casar (@RepCasar) October 24, 2025
Trump can and legally should keep SNAP running.
If you are struggling to afford groceries, it’s because Trump chose to make it that way.https://t.co/nRPFKLYNiO
Democratic leaders have fired back with equal intensity. Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services website reads, “Because Republicans in Washington DC failed to pass a federal budget, causing the federal government shutdown, November 2025 SNAP benefits cannot be paid”.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized the Trump Administration for the ongoing shutdown, saying that 3 million people in her state are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits. “Lives depend on this, and Washington Republicans need to stop playing games. Release this federal funding right now and let states get this money to families to ensure they don’t go hungry”.
No President in history has cut off food aid during a shutdown. Until now.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) October 24, 2025
This morning, I urged Sec. Rollins to reverse course or millions of New Yorkers will go hungry.
This is indefensible.https://t.co/lmkxR4zlP7
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota:
Choosing not to feed Americans in need is unacceptable.
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) October 25, 2025
The Administration knows it can use emergency funds for SNAP payments—it even deleted the memo posted on its website saying it could.
They are choosing to inflict pain on families.https://t.co/U8JhKCb4XT
New Jersey’s Gov. Phil Murphy criticized the Trump Administration’s cuts to SNAP through the Big, Beautiful Bill on Monday, saying “there is no doubt it was specifically designed to make life harder for working Americans”.
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey:
Trump has billions of dollars he could use to keep SNAP funded in November, yet he’s choosing not to let these funds get to working families who need them to afford groceries. If you believe like I do, that children in America should not go hungry because of Trumps politics,… pic.twitter.com/qXakE2KLDs
— Sen. Cory Booker (@SenBooker) October 23, 2025
The Root Cause
The shutdown stems from a fundamental disagreement over healthcare policy. At the center of the rift between the two groups was health care spending, with Democrats refusing to vote to keep the government funded unless Republicans agreed to reverse Medicaid cuts and extend subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans.
Austin’s Unique Challenges
Austin and Central Texas face particularly acute challenges as the shutdown drags on. Sari Vatske, CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank, said the government shutdown has already led to an increase in demand for food bank services as many federal workers have gone without pay. Last week, the organization held food distribution events for nearly 1,000 families of federal workers at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Fort Hood.
The numbers are sobering. Around 127,000 Central Texas households who already use the food bank also rely on SNAP benefits. That comes out to around $44 million per month — an amount the food bank can’t absorb. Vatske warns that in the 21 counties that the Central Texas food bank serves, assuming the average household receives about $400 a month, they are looking at a shortfall of about $51 million a month.
The Central Texas Food Bank has already seen dramatic increases in demand. “We’ve already seen about a 35% increase in reliance on our services,” Vatske said. The organization is spending over $1 million a month to keep shelves stocked but acknowledges it cannot replace SNAP benefits.
“We are seeing people stand in line who have never thought that they would,” Vatske said. “We know that many Americans are already one paycheck away from needing a food bank, so it stands to reason that if a paycheck is missed, people do need additional support”.
Adding to Austin’s challenges, the Central Texas Food Bank got hit with a $5.5 million cut in federal funding in April and the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled 40 deliveries totaling 761,000 meals.
Government Relations Officer at the North Texas Food Bank, Clarissa Clarke, discusses the potential impact of SNAP benefits not being provided for November if the government shutdown extends past Monday:
The Funding Solution: A Political Choice
Advocates and policy experts argue that the Trump administration has the resources to prevent this crisis but is choosing not to act.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, billions of dollars in contingency funding are available for SNAP, some of which could be used to fund benefits. Specifically, Congress made $6 billion in contingency funding available for SNAP through the 2024 and 2025 appropriations laws.
During the government shutdowns in 2018 and 2019, the USDA disbursed SNAP funds early to prevent benefits from running out. However, “This administration didn’t do any of that [this time], but they still have the contingency funding. They have the money, so it really is a policy choice”, according to food policy advocates.
Sharon Parrott, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank, said in an email note that the administration is legally required to use contingency funds to pay for November SNAP benefits.
What Texans on Both Sides Are Saying
Beyond the political leaders, everyday Texans across the ideological spectrum are expressing concern about the humanitarian impact.
Food bank leaders emphasize the program’s critical role. San Antonio Food Bank Chief Philanthropy Officer Michael Guerra said, “Every 10 meals a low-income person gets, nine are from SNAP and one is from a food bank. [SNAP benefits expiring] probably means that we’re just going to have to ration. We do ration food right now because there’s more need than there is food, but if we have a need that two, three [or] four times what we normally serve, we won’t be able to scale that fast”.
Advocacy organizations like Every Texan argue that political interferences in public benefit programs are driven by a false narrative, and that federal funding is available to ensure that people stay healthy and fed. They urge Congress to reach an agreement and make the Marketplace health insurance enhanced subsidies permanent, noting that Congressional members can support both healthcare stability and food security nationally.
A Historic Crisis
SNAP, the country’s largest anti-hunger program, dates back to the Great Depression and has never been disrupted this way. Food assistance advocates warn of catastrophic consequences. “If the SNAP program shuts down, we will have the most mass hunger suffering we’ve had in America since the Great Depression,” says Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Due to provisions in President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful” reconciliation package, the federal food stamps program was facing “the largest cut to SNAP in history,” according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. These legislative changes are estimated to cause 22.3 million families to lose some or all of their SNAP benefits.
What Happens Next
As the shutdown stretches into its fourth week, the deadline looms. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is monitoring how the shutdown may impact benefits, adding that once they received “new federal guidance,” they would issue SNAP benefits.
For now, anyone enrolled in SNAP this November will eventually receive November SNAP benefits when the shutdown ends. SNAP enrollees should continue using the SNAP funds already loaded onto their Lone Star Cards.
However, time is running out. Food banks are preparing for unprecedented demand they cannot fully meet. Families are making impossible calculations about whether to pay rent or buy food. And in Washington, the political stalemate continues with no clear end in sight.
Data from Meals on Wheels Texas found 13.6% of Texas seniors run the risk of hunger.
The question remains: Will Congress and the administration prioritize food security for millions of vulnerable Americans, or will political brinkmanship leave families hungry?
For 3.4 million Texans, the answer will determine whether they can feed their families next month.
For assistance, Texans can call 2-1-1 to find local food banks and pantries, or visit the Feeding Texas food bank finder website. The Central Texas Food Bank is located at 6500 Metropolis Dr. in Austin and continues to accept donations and serve the community.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into the Love Austin Political Action Committee (PAC) and the nonprofit Foundation Communities.
🚨NEW: I’m investigating a potentially illegal fundraising scheme to pass Prop Q in Austin.
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) October 24, 2025
Every non-profit, including Foundation Communities, that is unlawfully contributing to an effort to squeeze more taxes out of Texans must immediately stop. pic.twitter.com/B9X0N3BR8Z
He alleges they are involved in a “potentially illegal fundraising scheme” tied to Proposition Q, an Austin ballot measure that proposes a property tax increase.
After Friday’s tally, Travis County election officials report 4.01% of the county’s 904,768 registered voters have voted early either in-person or by mail.
34,963 voters have voted early at a polling location so far while officials have received 36,326 mail-in ballots.
The early voting period ends Friday, October 31 with Election Day being Tuesday, November 4.
The busiest polling location for early voting so far? The Ben Hur Shrine Center location in North Austin with 3,380 voters having cast a ballot already.
The least busy? The Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility downtown where only 246 have showed up since Monday.
Austin City Hall has seen 710 voters.
Texans will vote on 17 proposed amendments to the state constitution. The statewide ballot includes propositions on tax relief, public safety, education, and healthcare. Some ballots will also feature local measures, depending on the voter’s county.
Here in Austin, Proposition Q, a ballot measure that asks voters to approve an increase in the city’s property tax rate. If passed, the city would use the new revenue to fund a variety of city services, including addressing homelessness, enhancing public safety, and improving parks and recreation.
CBS Austin held a town hall Friday to discuss Proposition Q,
Authorities in Lakeway say thieves attempted to break into a vehicle to steal cash in what they’re calling a jugging incident Friday.
LAKEWAY POLICE DEPARTMENT:
At around 5:20 p.m. there was an attempted Burglary of Vehicle – a possible ‘jugging’ incident in Lakeway. Jugging is a situation where a perpetrator waits at a bank or ATM, watches for customers who might be carrying a large amount of cash or goods, and then follows them to steal the money. In this incident, the would-be thieves followed the victims into Lakeway from a bank in Austin, and when the victims parked and entered a business, the suspects took the opportunity to unsuccessfully try to break into the victim’s vehicle, but fled before doing so.
The suspects were in all black clothing, including ski masks and gloves. No weapons were reported. The suspect vehicle is described as a newer model Hyundai Palisade, blue/gray in color.
Community members are reminded to be aware of your surroundings and never leave valuables visible in your unattended vehicles. If anything ever feels suspicious or unsafe, please do not hesitate to call 911. If you have any information about this incident, please call the Lakeway Police Department at (512) 261-2800.
In New Braunfels, an arrest has been made after an arson investigation.
NEW BRAUNFELS FIRE DEPARTMENT:
The City of New Braunfels Fire Marshal’s Office has made an arrest in a recent Arson investigation. On October 21st, at approximately 3:30am, officers with the New Braunfels Police Department were called to a residence in the 2200 block of West Bridge Street for a report of a disturbance. Officers arrived to find that the resident of the home had awoken to discover that several plastic bags of clothing were on fire outside of a detached garage and near other occupied structures. The resident was able to quickly put out the fire with a water hose and had called police. No injuries were reported from the fire, and there was no damage to nearby structures.
The New Braunfels Fire Marshal’s Office then began an investigation into the cause of the fire and determined that it had been intentionally set. Additional investigation led to a judge signing an arrest warrant for the suspect and search warrant of his residence.
Friday, at approximately 6:00 a.m., the New Braunfels Police Department SWAT Team assisted the Fire Marshal’s Office with executing those warrants at a home in the 200 block of South Grape Avenue. 36-year old Gilbert Hernandez of New Braunfels was taken into custody without incident. He was transported to the Comal County Jail and charged with Arson, a 2nd degree felony, with bond set at $25,000. Additionally, Hernandez had an outstanding warrant for Assault of a Family Member/Household Member with Previous Conviction, out of Comal County, and that warrant was also served.
The investigation into this incident continues and additional charges may be pending.
In other crime news, Austin police have released photos of a vehicle suspected in the fatal hit-and-run of a scooter driver downtown last weekend.
Texas Department of Safety announced the arrests of three wanted fugitives.
“Crime Watch”
First responders have been searching north of the city for someone reportedly washed away by flood waters overnight.
A small fire at a motel around midnight was safely brought under control in South Austin.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott spoke to reporters on Friday afternoon about the state’s push to clear homeless encampments in Austin, a move that apparently caught city officials by surprise.
Tesla’s Robotaxis will soon be driverless in Austin.
“Within a few months, we expect to have no safety drivers at all, or at least in parts, of Austin. We’re obviously being very cautious about deployment. Our goal is to be actually paranoid about deployment because obviously, even one accident will be front page headline news worldwide.” — Tesla CEO Elon Musk
The Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse at Barton Springs Pool will partially reopen on Tuesday, October 28, city officials announced Friday.
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department said the bathhouse, which has been under renovation since March 2024, will resume operations at 8 a.m., with restroom and shower facilities inside the building available to the public. The temporary restroom and shower trailers currently in use will be taken out of service.
Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse at Barton Springs Pool partially reopens on Tues., 10/28, at 8 am. Renovated restroom and shower spaces will now be available inside; please enter from the pool side of the building. The front parking lot will also reopen, except one small area. pic.twitter.com/uqarZbN8qf
— Austin Parks & Rec (@AustinCityParks) October 24, 2025
WEATHER
FRIDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
Most areas in the ATX saw anywhere from 1-2 inches of much-needed rain since it started falling before midnight last night. Storms and heavy downpours continued during the overnight hours.
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
LAKE TRAVIS TIME LAPSE
Harris County saw widespread power outages overnight due to the turbulent weather.
According to a representative with Reserve Bank of Dallas, a contributing factor in the state’s weak job growth numbers could be President’s Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Telecommunications giant AT&T is eyeing the Texas communities of Plano and Frisco for a new office campus. (Dallas Morning News)
The president of the Alamo Trust, which manages the historic site, resigned after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called on her to do as much over views she expressed in a doctoral dissertation in 2023 suggesting she disagrees with Republican leaders. (Texas Tribune)
This is good news! The CEO of the Alamo Trust has resigned amid controversy over the leftist messaging at the Shrine of Texas Liberty.
— Michael Quinn Sullivan 🇺🇸 (@MQSullivan) October 24, 2025
Yet… until the culture of the Alamo Trust is fixed, nothing will actually change. pic.twitter.com/QSV7kTR47F
This is really dumb.
— Ron Nirenberg (@Ron_Nirenberg) October 24, 2025
Kate Rogers was the right leader at the right time to bring stable, fact-focused leadership to the difficult and important work of the Alamo redevelopment project. Don't let any extremist Republican lecture you about "cancel culture" ever again.…
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is pushing back against President Donald Trump’s call to import beef from Argentina, saying it would hurt Texas ranchers already facing historically low cattle numbers — and he’s offering his own plan instead.
Detectives with the Houston Police Department have made at least two shocking discoveries the past few days, including the discovery of a burning body hanging under a Houston freeway Thursday night.
Houston authorities also responded last week to reports of skeletal remains found in a portable restroom downtown. (Houston Chronicle)
Listen to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pledge to spend “most of” his $90 million campaign warchest in and around Houston to turn the area “dark red.” Given he’s lost Harris County by larger margins every time he’s been on the ballot since 2014, it seems like a fool’s errand. But reporter Benjamin Wermund joins host Jeremy Wallace to dig into why the Republican might be so confident even in one of the state’s bluest counties. Plus, they break down who his top donors are by name, detailing where they came from, and what some have received in return for their loyalty.
Also State Sen. Paul Bettencourt joins the show to talk about the surprising drop in voter registrations in Texas. Since last year, Texas saw the voter rolls shrink by 130,000 people – the biggest drop since 2012.
And finally, the show looks at why a South Texas Republican is calling for Congress to extend Obama Care tax credits.
West Texas is a reliably hard-red political stronghold. In the last presidential election, the region voted about 80% for Donald Trump. West Texas is the reddest place in the country, according to Jeff Roche, author of “The Conservative Frontier.” He says cowboy conservatism is rooted in the dusty landscape. But how well does that political philosophy serve the communities of West Texas?
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: DAY 25
Justin Chen, an EPA employee and union president, was furloughed during the government shutdown. While he’s managing without a paycheck, Chen expressed deeper concern for essential workers — like TSA and FAA employees — who are still working without pay and have fewer options to supplement their income.
CBS Texas joined a tour of Fort Hood, one of the nation’s largest Army posts, to get a behind-the-scenes look at combat training, advanced simulators, and efforts to rebuild public trust.
SPORTS
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Class 6A:
- Vandegrift 44, Hutto 34
- Cedar Ridge 38, McNeil 35
- Westwood 35, Stony Point 7
- Lake Travis 31, Westlake 10
- Austin Bowie 48, Austin Akins 0
- Cedar Park Vista Ridge 31, Manor
- Austin Anderson 42, Buda Hays 26
Class 4A:
- Fredericksburg 66, SA Kennedy 0
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: The No. 22 Texas Longhorns travel to Starkville, MS to square off against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are in the midst of a three game losing streak since starting SEC play after opening the year with a perfect 4-0 record against their non-conference schedule.
PODCAST
The Texas Longhorns’ game against Mississippi State is HUGE for a number of reasons. Not only does Texas need a win to keep its CFP hopes alive, but some coaches need some wins down the stretch to keep their jobs beyond the 2025 season. On today’s episode of Locked On Longhorns, we break down why this game is so big for both the short-term and long-term futures of Texas Football. Plus, some keys to a Longhorns victory in Starkville, and a few back-ups who need to step up for Texas to get a road win.
ON THE SCHEDULE
Both Texas A&M and Texas Tech are in the top ten and in action today.
PODCAST
Texas A&M Aggies face historic opportunity against LSU Tigers. Can they break the SEC’s back-to-back road game curse?
NBA: The San Antonio Spurs are off to a hot start.
Victor Wembanyama had 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocks before fouling out in overtime, and the San Antonio Spurs held on to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 120-116 on Friday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Kyshawn George scored a career-high 34 points, and the Washington Wizards turned away a Cooper Flagg-fueled rally for a 117-107 victory over Dallas on Friday night, dropping the Mavericks and their No. 1 overall pick to 0-2. (Yahoo! Sports)
Cade Cunningham scored 21 points and made two free throws with 5.5 seconds left to help the Detroit Pistons hold on to beat the Houston Rockets 115-111 on Friday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
ON THE SCHEDULE
MLS: The Borgen family, investors in the NWSL’s Denver Summit expansion team, are part of the group that recently invested in Austin FC at an enterprise value of $912 million.
Put on those cowboy boots, throw down some sawdust and let’s go dancing at some Austin’s most popular honky tonks.
