WASHINGTON (November 13, 2025) The Alliance to End Hunger welcomes the passage of a Continuing Resolution last night to end our nation’s record-breaking government shutdown. The “CR,” passed on Wednesday evening, caps a tumultuous period of uncertainty for food assistance programs, and an exceptionally stressful period for those who rely on federal nutrition programs. The Alliance calls on the Administration to distribute benefit funding in full immediately.
The CR provides full government funding through January 30, 2026 and fully funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and other USDA programs for the entirety of Fiscal Year 2026. Approximately 42 million low-income people in the United States rely on SNAP to help with food purchases, with another 6.7 million mothers and young children relying on WIC. The CR will temporarily fund senior nutrition programs, but additional funding to help close the gap is still needed.
“The chaos surrounding funding for food assistance programs was a national embarrassment for the wealthiest country in the world” stated Alliance to End Hunger president Eric Mitchell. “The federal government failed in its obligation to help people with the least resources, leading to needless suffering, stress and uncertainty. Benefits must now be distributed as quickly as possible.”
In early November benefits for the SNAP program were severely interrupted following USDA’s decision to cease distribution of funds for the program during the government shutdown. Court orders forced the Administration to issue a partial amount of benefits, with three legal challenges working their way through the court system until yesterday’s bill passage. It is unknown how quickly state agencies will be able to “restart” processes to move full SNAP benefits onto electronic benefits cards, likely resulting in a patchwork effect where benefits will reach SNAP participants in some states before others.
“This entire saga has resulted in immense stress for families who need help to afford food, a basic human need,” stated Mitchell. “Our government needs to ensure that families can count on WIC, SNAP, and other basic needs programs to be there for them, even in times of political uncertainty. We call on Congress to work on a solution that protects our nation’s most vulnerable individuals and families during future government shutdowns. Hungry people must not suffer when government fails.”
