SNAP recipients will get partial funds this month, as political infighting and misinformation swirl

Democrats and Republicans blame each other for the SNAP chaos. The Trump administration has said Democrats could prevent funding from drying up by agreeing to a short-term measure that Republicans have already passed; this would maintain SNAP and government funding through November 21. Democrats say Republicans must take action on health care premiums that will skyrocket at the end of this year as part of any deal to end the shutdown.

Meanwhile, Democratic leaders in 25 states sued the USDA for what they called a cruel and deliberate attempt to deny benefits.

Democrats were quick to criticize President Donald Trump’s lavish Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, the day before SNAP benefits were suspended. The party was inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby,” set in the Roaring Twenties and depicting irresponsible rich people living lavishly, seven years before the stock market crash plunged the country into the Great Depression.

Many Democrats viewed the event as tone-deaf, given that millions of Americans were on the brink of hunger. The president’s guests — including senior members of his administration, MAGA allies and major political donors — enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and exotic cocktails while jazz music blared and burlesque dancers kept their fans moving. “A little party never killed anyone,” was the theme, according to the White House.

Asked about the party’s criticism, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said, “These Democrats are full of it — President Trump has consistently called on them to do the right thing and reopen the government, which they can do at any time.” »

Last week, SNAP recipients told NBC News they were preparing for the possibility that the EBT cards they use to buy food won’t be reloaded. A 60-year-old woman described waiting in line for hours at a food pantry in Huntington, West Virginia. A Wisconsin preschool teacher told her four children that maybe they should learn to live on beans and tortillas. A disabled father prepares to sell his television to feed himself.

“It’s very reminiscent of disaster preparedness,” said Lucia Graves, a 35-year-old mother living in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Graves said she worries about being able to pay for her daughter’s daycare if her SNAP benefits don’t renew Wednesday.

Some businesses, businesses and religious groups are stepping up to fill the gap in assistance. DoorDash said it would deliver one million meals to food banks and pantries. A Chicago deli is offering free meals — a sandwich, a potato pancake, pickles and a soft drink — to people who show their SNAP cards. And a church in Manchester, Connecticut, organized a pop-up food pantry using items donated by community members.