The end of the nation's longest government shutdown means food assistance for 42 million Americans should soon be restored after a nearly two week halt.
But suspending funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, may have long-lasting impacts, say some experts and those who depend on the program to feed their families.
Jacqueline Giammona, a single working mom of two boys, relies on SNAP for most of her groceries. By last week, her pantry and freezer were near empty.
The Sacramento, Calif., resident was among those in some states who saw November benefits hit the EBT card they use to buy food, amid back-and-forth legal wranglings that reached the Supreme Court.
"I was really relieved," she said, but there was a nagging feeling in her gut. "Okay, what if they take it away?'"
Giammona can't fathom why the government would deprive low-income people of a necessity like food. She considers it an "abuse of power" with lasting consequences.
"People are going to distrust the government, and I think that people are going to be really angry about it for a long time," she said.
SNAP is the country's largest anti-hunger program, serving the 1 in 8 U.S. residents who live at or just above the poverty line. For more than 60 years it has stood as a key safety-net for those in need.
Funded each year by Congress, its budget is designed to grow and shrink to meet the demand. To see it compromised was startling, said Craig Gundersen, an economics professor at Baylor University.
"This is a big surprise," Gundersen said. "It really has broken this entitlement status of SNAP, and that's of concern."
President Donald Trump has been a critic of SNAP. During the shutdown, he called it out as one of the "Democrat programs" he pledged to cut. On his social media platform Truth Social he falsely claimed former President Joe Biden expanded it by "Billions and Billions of dollars" and that benefits were given randomly "to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need."
In late October, as the government shutdown wore on, the U.S. Department of Agriculture posted on its website that it would not pay the full $8 billion in SNAP benefits due for November. The message blamed Democrats for the shutdown and the consequent suspension of payments.
Crystal FitzSimons, president of the Food Research & Action Center, said she felt "shock, outrage, disbelief."
"It was a policy choice that was made by this administration," she said.
The administration challenged the ruling of three lower courts that it had reserve funds to pay full SNAP benefits, arguing it needed the money for other children nutrition programs. The Agriculture Department said it had about $4.5 billion in a contingency fund that would cover roughly half of November's benefits. Two judges said the administration should tap other reserves to make up the difference.
The deal cut by Congress to reopen the government funds SNAP through September 2026. But FitzSimons is nervous that the program could be used again as a negotiation tactic.
"Once you break a taboo," she said, "it's that much easier to break a taboo."
Ideally, she'd like to see lawmakers pass a bill to ensure there is no future delay in SNAP benefits, even in a government shutdown.
"Could Congress compel USDA to actually act? They could," she says. "I'm not sure that we'll be able to get that done before Oct. 1, 2026."
Some advocates also worry the SNAP disruption will dissuade people who face hunger from getting help.
"By making SNAP payments uncertain the shutdown will likely further decrease the number of eligible people who will apply," said Joel Berg, CEO of the nonprofit Hunger Free America.
The Agriculture Department did not respond to an NPR request for comment about concerns over mistrust in the program and plans to address that.
The weeks of hardship, anxiety and chaos caused by the funding pause have, however, shined a light on the importance of the program, many noted. SNAP recipients have seen an outpouring of support from people around the country and lawmakers from both major parties.
"If anything, I think that this shutdown and this disruption of SNAP benefits will make Americans more aware this is really an important program and should retain its entitlement status," said Gundersen.
Brittany Jansen, of Phoenix, hopes more people will realize hunger affects those close to them.
Jansen applied for SNAP benefits 10 months ago, after she and her husband racked up thousands of dollars in credit card debt for groceries and gasoline. He changed career paths and has yet to find a full-time job. She bartends part-time, and they split shifts because they can't afford child care for their two toddlers.
Her own mother didn't fully grasp the struggle.
"When I first told her that we were getting benefits she was confused," Jansen said, "because she was like, 'Well, you both have jobs!'"
Since the shutdown and SNAP funding pause, Jansen has been more open about the fact that her family needs help.
"And I think people are just kind of surprised," she said.
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