LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and 22 other attorneys general have sent a letter (PDF) to the USDA’s Acting Associate Administrator for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) demanding clarity and additional information on how USDA plans to proceed after alerting states that funding for critical nutrition programs may lapse in the near future because of the ongoing federal government shutdown. The letter also detailed the grave harm that will be caused to children, seniors, and veterans who rely on food assistance for their daily meals. 

“SNAP helps feed 1.4 million Michiganders, and without it, families would face impossible choices between paying rent, buying medicine, or putting food on the table,” Nessel said. “The Trump Administration should use all available funds to ensure SNAP benefits are not paused and be upfront about how they plan to move forward so Americans continue receiving the support they need during this time of uncertainty.” 

On October 10, 2025, USDA issued a letter to all state agencies and state agency directors that administer the SNAP program. The letter indicated that “if the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation.” It also “direct[ed] States to hold their November issuance files and delay transmission to State EBT vendors until further notice,” including “on-going SNAP benefits and daily files.” 

In other words, without citing any legal authority or providing any reasoning, USDA prohibited states, like Michigan, from sending already calculated November allotments to EBT vendors for processing. USDA does have some authority to reduce SNAP benefits, or even suspend or cancel them under certain circumstances. However, USDA’s October 10 letter does not indicate that any of the legal requirements to do so have been met. 

In addition, USDA appears to have several billion dollars in SNAP contingency reserve funds that Congress appropriated for emergency situations like this. The attorneys general argue the federal government should use those funds to continue providing SNAP benefits rather than direct states to suspend already-calculated allotments. Furthermore, USDA also has access to Section 32 funds that could also be used to provide SNAP benefits during the ongoing shutdown. 

The attorneys general further argue that, if carried out, USDA’s October 10 directive will harm millions of Americans and could cause significant hardship for the 42 million Americans who depend on SNAP to feed themselves and their families. Even a temporary delay, which now appears inevitable, will have devastating effects on the American public and the national economy. 

Nearly 13% of Michigan households, approximately 1.4 million people, receive SNAP benefits. About 43% are families with children and 36% are families with members who are older adults or disabled. In addition, approximately 40,000 veterans receive SNAP in Michigan. 

The letter sent by the attorneys general asks USDA to answer the following critical questions by end of day October 27, 2025: 

• Does USDA/FNS have contingency funds left over from prior Congressional appropriations?  If so, what is the total of those contingency funds? 
• Does USDA/FNS have access to any other sources of available funds to pay benefits and administrative costs associated with issuing those benefits?  
• Does USDA/FNS intend to use such funds to furnish SNAP benefits, even at a reduced level?  If not, why not?  And if so, how does the agency intend to execute that plan, and when would States be expected to send their benefit issuance files? 
• Assuming USDA/FNS has contingency funds, on what grounds did the agency direct States to “hold” November files, rather than reducing allotments consistent with available funds? 
• Should States treat the October 10 letter as a “suspension” of benefits or a “cancellation” of benefits under 7 C.F.R. § 271.7, or neither? 

SNAP participants should reach out to their local Michigan Department of Health & Human Services office with any questions regarding their SNAP benefits or check MI Bridges for updates. For additional resources, residents can Dial 2-1-1 or visit Find Help - Michigan 2-1-1 for free, confidential assistance and referrals to local food programs and support services. Michiganders can also visit the Food Bank Council of Michigan to locate nearby food banks and learn about additional hunger relief efforts.   

Attorney General Nessel was joined in sending this letter by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.