Bessent Says SNAP Relief ‘Could Be’ Coming Soon As Democrats Continue to Put Politics Over People – RedState
Sunday marks the 32nd day of Schumer’s shutdown and the second day of no funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a program millions of Americans rely on to put food on the table. As RedState previously reported, two federal judges, in two separate cases, on Friday ordered “the Trump administration to use contingency funds to award SNAP benefits because the benefits are set to expire on Saturday, given the expiration of the credits.”
Following these two orders, President Trump explained on social media that there may be a legal issue preventing his administration from funding SNAP.
“Our government’s lawyers don’t believe we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with some of the money we have, and now two courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do,” Trump said on Truth Social Friday night.
“I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT,” he continued.
READ MORE: Imperial Judicial Branch: Judges in 2 Separate Cases Order Trump Admin. use SNAP contingency funds
Trump announces next steps as judge orders USDA funding, SNAP deadline approaches Saturday, November 1
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday morning and told host Jake Tapper that SNAP benefits “could be” funded by Wednesday. Bessent also stated the obvious: Senate Democrats could stop this madness right now by voting to defund the government and end the shutdown.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asked whether the Trump administration would use emergency funds to cover SNAP benefits.
BESSENT: “There is a process that has to be followed. So we have to understand what the process is. President Trump wants to make sure that people get their food… pic.twitter.com/MpyTqQBktq
– State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) November 2, 2025
TAPPER: Will the administration appeal the judge [McConnell]? Because the court weighed.
BESSENT: No, but there is a process that must be followed. So we need to understand what the process is. President Trump wants to make sure people receive their food benefits.
TAPPER: So this could be done by Wednesday?
BESSENT: Maybe. And five Democratic senators could take the plunge and open the government by Wednesday.
As a reminder, Senate Republicans voted to fund SNAP 14 times, while Senate Democrats refused to do so 14 times.
RELATED: Watch: Pelosi triggered by Trump video, rants wildly about SNAP, him ‘don’t feed the kids’
Feel-good Friday: Americans are stepping up and mobilizing to give their neighbors hope during the government shutdown
There’s some blame for this mess, which White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted during her Sunday morning appearance on Fox Business’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromoo. Leavitt said:
“Radical left Democrats who have shut down our government and held the American people hostage for 32 straight days. We have a shortage of air traffic controllers nationwide. Half of our nation’s major airports are suffering major delays as we head into the busiest travel months of the season. We have half a million federal workers who are not getting paid. SNAP benefits have expired. It is only because President Trump found a legal maneuver that our troops continue to be paid.”
Some Republicans are speculating that all this legal wrangling over SNAP may be in vain because Democrats will end the lockdown as soon as Tuesday’s elections in Virginia, New Jersey and New York are over. “If they do it before Tuesday, then their base might not show up because it looks like they’ve caved,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).
Mullins concluded, “That’s why they’re getting everything ready to open next week. We’ll be open next Wednesday, or Wednesday night, or Thursday.”
Editor’s note: Schumer’s closure is here. Rather than putting the American people first, Chuck Schumer and radical Democrats forced a government shutdown on health care for illegal immigrants. They own that.
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