California, along with over 20 other states, is suing the Trump administration over its decision not to send out November food assistance as the federal government shutdown continues.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it won’t use the SNAP contingency funding, which Congress has allocated for emergency scenarios, if the shutdown extends beyond Friday. SNAP helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries.
“The federal government is legally required to make payments to SNAP. Congress appropriated $6 billion to the USDA in SNAP-related contingency funds through September 2026 to continue funding SNAP benefits in instances like the current government shutdown,” a press release from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said. “Instead of helping, the Trump administration chose to suspend November SNAP benefits despite contingency funding in place to help feed American families.”
According to Politico, the Trump administration has said it doesn’t have the legal authority to use the $5 billion in emergency funds to pay for at least part of SNAP, which requires more than $8 billion to cover November benefits.
To assist families with groceries ahead of the holiday season, Newsom announced he would deploy the California National Guard and state volunteers on a humanitarian mission to food banks.
To find a food bank, visit cafoodbanks.org.
DoorDash is also stepping in to help.
The delivery platform announced the launch of its Emergency Food Response. It said it will provide 1 million free meals through more than 300 food banks and pantries nationwide in November. DoorDash also plans to waive delivery and service fees for an estimated 300,000 grocery orders placed by SNAP recipients through its app.
Participating grocers include Sprouts, Dollar General, Schnucks, Ahold Delhaize brands, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle and Wegmans. The company said customers with a SNAP/EBT card linked to their DoorDash account will be eligible for one fee-free grocery delivery during November.
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