Newsom warns that California’s SNAP benefits could be suspended with the shutdown

Governor Gavin Newsom issued a stark warning Monday that food assistance benefits for millions of low-income Californians could be suspended starting Nov. 1 if the ongoing federal shutdown does not end Thursday.

The benefits, distributed under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and formerly called food stamps, include federally funded benefits on CalFresh cards. They support about 5.5 million Californians.

Newsom blamed the potential disruption — and widespread shutdown — of SNAP on President Trump and decried the timing of the potential cutoff as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.

“Trump’s failure to open the federal government is now putting people’s lives at risk and making basic necessities like food more expensive — just as the holidays are approaching,” Newsom said. “It’s long past time for Republicans in Congress to grow a spine, stand up to Trump, and deliver to the American people.”

The White House responded by accusing Democrats of a shutdown, as it has done before.

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, said, “Democrats’ decision to shut down the government hurts Americans across the country” and that Democrats could “choose to reopen the government at any time” by voting on a continuing resolution to fund the government while continuing budget negotiations.

“Newsom should ask his fellow Democrats to hurt the American people,” Jackson said. “The Trump administration is working day and night to ease the pain that Democrats are causing, and even as it upsets the left, many Democrats criticize the president’s efforts to defund troops and fund food aid for women and children.”

Congressional Republicans have also blamed the shutdown and resulting interference in federal programs on Democrats, who are refusing to vote on a Republican-backed funding measure based on Republican decisions to eliminate subsidies for health care plans by millions of Americans.

Newsom’s warning about SNAP benefits followed similar warnings from other states on both sides of the political aisle, after the USDA warned state agencies in an Oct. 10 letter that the shutdown could disrupt funding for the benefit.

States must take action to issue November benefits before the end of the month, so the shutdown must end no later than November 1 for benefits to be available in time.

Newsom’s office said Californians could see their benefits interrupted or delayed if the shutdown does not end Thursday. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services warned that SNAP benefits for November “may not be issued if the federal government shutdown continues beyond October 27.”

Newsom’s office said the funding cut would affect federally funded CalFresh benefits, but also some other state-funded benefits. More than 63% of SNAP recipients in California are children or the elderly, Newsom’s office said.

In her own statement, First Lady Jennifer Seibel Newsom of California said, “Government should be measured by how we protect people’s lives, their health and their well-being. Parents and caregivers should not be forced to choose between buying groceries or paying the bills.”

States are already preparing for more changes to SNAP eligibility based on the Republican-approved “Big Beautiful Bill,” which sets new limits on SNAP benefits, including for non-working adults. Republicans have argued that such restrictions would encourage more able-bodied adults to return to the workforce to support their families.

Many Democrats and advocacy organizations working to protect low-income families and children argue that limiting SNAP benefits has a disproportionately large impact on some of the nation’s most vulnerable people, including poor children.

According to the USDA, approximately 41.7 million Americans will be served by SNAP benefits each month in fiscal year 2024, with an annual cost of approximately $100 billion. USDA has some potential funding that could continue benefits in the short term, but not enough to cover all monthly benefits, advocates said.

Andrew Chen, managing director of public policy for California to End Child Poverty, urged the USDA to use contingency funding and other funding streams to prevent disruptions to SNAP benefits, which he said would be “disastrous.”

“CalFresh is a lifeline for the 5.5 million Californians who rely on the program for food. That includes 2 million children. It’s unacceptable that we’re not the only children and families who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.”

He said the science is clear that “even a short period of food insecurity has long-term consequences for children’s growth and development.”

Ted Lampert, director of Kids Now, said the disruption would be “terrible.”

“We speak for the needs of children and families, and children need food – basic support to live and function and go to school,” he said. “So it can be really devastating.”

Times staff writer Jenny Gold contributed to this report.