WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently directed states to stop processing November SNAP benefits, warning the program could “run out of money in two weeks.” The USDA not only has access to contingency funds; it has a legal and moral duty to spend all available dollars to fund SNAP benefits. This alarming development threatens a vital lifeline for millions of Americans. The result could be fewer children receiving the nutritious meals they need to learn, grow, and thrive.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s largest and most effective food assistance program, supporting 42 million Americans—including 16 million children, eight million seniors, and four million people with disabilities. Any interruption in funding would worsen food insecurity, strain family budgets, and ripple through schools and communities nationwide.
“There is a clear solution to keep food on the table—and the Administration is actively choosing not to use it, instead using our children’s well-being as leverage,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “Let’s be clear: they are willing to let children go hungry so they can sidestep responsibility for healthcare funding. We are calling on Congress to immediately restore funding, reimburse states that step in to feed families, and for the Administration to direct the USDA to release emergency funds to keep SNAP benefits flowing now.”
“We need leaders who choose children over politics,” she added. “Our children’s health, education, and futures are not bargaining chips. By refusing to act—and by denying support to states trying to help—they are showing just how far they are willing to go to risk Americans' well-being, and how comfortable they are gambling with students’ health, learning, and lives. No child and no family should ever go hungry because of political games in Washington.”
When SNAP benefits are disrupted, teachers and support staff witness the consequences firsthand—students arriving at school hungry, unable to focus, and quickly falling behind. Many of the very educators working to keep students fed are struggling with the same challenges in their own homes. Still, educators are already stepping up to fill the gap by donating to food pantries, organizing school food drives, and pooling their own resources to make sure their students don’t go without meals. But no educator should have to shoulder that burden alone.
“We all want our public schools to be places where every student can learn, grow, and thrive,” said Pringle. “But when kids are hungry, learning becomes much harder. Every child deserves access to healthy meals. Ensuring children have enough to eat should never be part of a political calculation. When students come to school hungry, their ability to learn and succeed suffers.”
“Letting hunger grow among our children because of a government shutdown is a policy choice, and one we cannot accept,” she added.
Educators and school staff see firsthand how consistent access to nutritious meals fuels student focus, engagement, and success. School meal programs don’t just feed children, they promote equity, remove barriers, and strengthen communities. When federal nutrition support is scaled back, the effects are wide-reaching: fewer children eligible for free school meals, greater pressure on school budgets, and weakened local food systems that depend on school partnerships.
“Every student—no matter where they live or their family’s income—should have nourishing, delicious, and welcoming meals that fuel their success,” Pringle said.
To learn more about the Administration’s efforts to cut SNAP programs in the Big Ugly Bill (H.R.1) visit https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/feed-students-not-billionaires.
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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest labor union, representing nearly 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.
