DALLAS – A worsening federal shutdown could soon trigger a nationwide hunger crisis. Nearly 42 million Americans, including 3.45 million Texans, may lose access to food assistance if the government remains closed another week.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently notified states that SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) payments for November may be delayed. SNAP, the largest federal anti-hunger program, provides critical food aid to millions.
A delay would postpone $7.9 billion in SNAP funds nationwide and disrupt income for 250,000 food retailers. In Texas, that could halt $614 million in aid, impacting 22,000 stores across the state.
“Ending the shutdown this week is crucial to preventing mass hunger,” said Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, a nonpartisan nonprofit fighting food insecurity.
He warned that food banks and pantries cannot fill the gap if federal aid stalls. “Even before this shutdown, 47 million Americans lived in food-insecure homes,” Berg noted. “If payments stop, this could be the worst hunger crisis since the Great Depression.”
Berg urged Congress and the White House to reach a bipartisan compromise and restore federal operations immediately. “Growth in hunger harms both families and the economy,” he said.
Unless an agreement is reached soon, millions of Americans could face empty shelves and bare pantries by November.
