Schumer’s Shutdown Starvation Spectacle: 40 Million Americans Face Famine—Nice One, Dems

If the Democrats don't end this #SchumerShutdown soon, SNAP benefits, basically food stamps, will stop on Tuesday.

SNAP funding expiration set to hit 40 million peoplehttps://t.co/0SN5YDpYMr
— The Hill (@thehill) October 26, 2025

More than 40 million low-income food stamp beneficiaries are expected to receive less help with grocery bills — or no help at all — in the coming days.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is threatening to withhold billions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) contingency funding, which Congress has already allocated for emergency scenarios, if the government shutdown stretches into November.
There is between $5 billion and $6 billion currently in that fund, experts say. That’s not enough to cover the estimated $8 billion in SNAP benefits due out next month, but it would allow for partial payments to help low-income Americans defray food costs.
On Friday, however, USDA released guidance saying it won’t use those funds to cover SNAP benefits if the government shutdown extends beyond Oct. 31 — a move that appears designed to maximize the pressure on Senate Democrats to support a GOP spending bill to reopen the government.
In a memo, first reported by Axios, the USDA said the reason is simple: The contingency fund was designed to respond to unforeseen events, like natural disasters, and the current shutdown doesn’t qualify because it was manufactured by Democrats. To spend the money on SNAP benefits during such an event, the USDA argues, would be illegal.

There are a lot of people who accept SNAP benefits who don’t need SNAP benefits.
— Fuzzy Chimp 🇺🇸🍌 (@fuzzychimpcom) October 26, 2025

This report set tongues wagging on X.

40 million people on SNAP is more cause for concern, and a sign of failed governance.
— Justin R Murphy (@JustinRMurphy1) October 26, 2025

Why are 40 million people collecting handouts from hardworking Americans? There’s no way there are that many downtrodden people that can’t find jobs in this country.
— Donnie Detroit (@DonnieDetroit19) October 26, 2025

Clearly, the system is broken.

40 f**king million people, all eating, none of them paying for it.

Absolute insanity. https://t.co/X19QtUu7lo
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) October 26, 2025

This is unsustainable. We cannot have more than 10% of our population relying on government for food. https://t.co/xLfC188w9x
— Amy Curtis (@RantyAmyCurtis) October 26, 2025

It's also very unfair to many people living paycheck to paycheck and barely making more than the people collecting the benefits.

They think this is meant to raise our sympathy and instead it blows my mind that 13.3% of Americans get free food thanks to my tax dollars. https://t.co/xLfC188w9x
— Amy Curtis (@RantyAmyCurtis) October 26, 2025

I feel like we need to plug DOGE into SNAP and trim the fat https://t.co/ykihjOW0XB
— The Dank Knight 🦇 (@capeandcowell) October 26, 2025

Ordinary Americans have absolutely no idea the scale of the American welfare state. https://t.co/sSAt5ou2BG
— Noah Wall (@NoahWWall) October 26, 2025

Maybe this #SchumerShutdown will be enlightening.

EBT should just be abolished outright. 95 percent of the people on the program could easily feed themselves. They just don’t feel like making the effort. The other 5 percent can rely on charities, soup kitchens, food drives, churches, etc. The program is a disaster. Get rid of it
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) October 26, 2025

The system is clearly a mess.