Shutdown Enters Week Five: No End in Sight with SNAP Funds Running out

10/28/2025

Washington, D.C. – The five-week government shutdown shows no signs of resolution as talks in Congress remain frozen. While federal workers are now missing paychecks and effects are felt across Indian Country and the rest of the United States, the Senate is at a standstill. Last week, bills to pay federal employees were blocked and neither Democrats nor Republicans would agree to the other party’s bills to extend funding.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated that Republicans must agree to negotiate an extension of expiring health insurance subsidies to get federal employees back to work. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) reiterated that Republican leaders will only discuss the health insurance tax credits after Democrats vote to open the government.

Earlier this week, the Federal government employees’ union broke with Democrats to call for Congress to immediately pass a “clean” funding bill offered by Republicans. By the end of the week, members of the military will miss their next paycheck, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will run out, and the cost of health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchanges will dramatically increase.

Supporting SNAP has become a bipartisan focus. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced S. 3024, the Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025. The bill has 11 cosponsors including Sens. Lankford (R-OK), Murkowski (R-AK), Cramer (R-SD), Cornyn (R-TX), and Welch (D-VT). A similar bill has been introduced in the House. Meanwhile, Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) has introduced the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025 to include the Women, Infants, and Children supplemental nutrition program.

Despite the pressure, Majority Leader Thune has not expressed interest in advancing single-issue bills like the one for SNAP. He maintains that passing individual bills will open the flood gates for other individual bills and will unnecessarily drag out the shutdown. Senator Thune emphasized, "My view is what it has been from the very beginning, and that is to pay SNAP recipients by reopening the government. It’s not complicated.”

Tribes have been accessing their own emergency funds and implementing contingency plans to maintain supplemental nutrition and food programs. Tribes can also reach out to their Congressional Delegations seeking quick action to fund SNAP and address the impacts from the Federal government shutdown.

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