{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-schiff-senate-democrats-take-action-to-stop-trump-administration-from-illegally-withholding-funding-for-nutrition-assistance-programs/", "Padilla, Schiff, Senate Democrats Take Action to Stop Trump Administration From Illegally Withholding Funding for Nutrition Assistance Programs", "2025-10-29", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CA", "Alex Padilla", "P000145", "www.padilla.senate.gov", "padilla", "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "President Trump: \u201cWe can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible and bad for them like cutting vast numbers of people out. Cutting things they like, cutting programs they like.\u201d\n\nThe Trump Administration is required by law to use billions in available funding to keep SNAP benefits flowing in November; USDA\u2019s own guidance confirmed its authority to use available funds during a shutdown\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined Senator Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-N.M.) and the Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025, legislation that prevents the Trump Administration from illegally withholding available funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The Trump Administration is choosing to withhold billions at its disposal to pay for SNAP, causing the program to lapse for the first time in history, which will be devastating for the 5.5 million Californians who depend on SNAP benefits (called CalFresh in California) to help afford their groceries.\n\nDespite having billions of dollars ready and available for SNAP, the Trump Administration continues to play politics with the ability of Americans across the country to put food on the table. Not only does the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have the authority to release SNAP contingency funds, but the statute is clear: the Trump Administration is required by law to release these funds.\n\nThe Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025 directs USDA to immediately release billions of dollars in available funds to ensure SNAP and WIC benefits continue uninterrupted for the remainder of this fiscal year. The legislation also requires the federal government to reimburse states for covering SNAP benefits during a shutdown. California has provided $80 million in state funds to stabilize food bank food distribution and offset delays in federal CalFresh benefits.\n\n\u201cDonald Trump is picking winners and losers in this shutdown, and unfortunately, he\u2019s decided not to help the most vulnerable families. Trump is illegally withholding billions of dollars in SNAP emergency funds that help feed over 40 million Americans\u201a including 5.5 million Californians,\u201d said Senator Padilla. \u201cAt any moment, the President could end this manufactured crisis so that American families and children don\u2019t go hungry, but he\u2019d rather starve families to inflict as much pain as possible and score political points. Congress must take immediate action through this legislation to fulfill America\u2019s promise to protect lifesaving food and nutrition assistance.\u201d\n\n\u201cDonald Trump has the power to ensure 40 million people don\u2019t go hungry during the shutdown. But he wishes to inflict the maximum pain on those who can least afford it. If he won\u2019t fund food, then my colleagues and I will push legislation to force him to,\u201d said Senator Schiff.\n\n\u201cLet me be clear: the Trump administration has the authority and the funds to keep SNAP running. No child, veteran, grandparent, or hardworking American should go hungry because of partisan politics,\u201d said Senator Luj\u00e1n. \u201cCongressional Republicans passed the largest cut to SNAP in history, and now the Trump administration is withholding billions in available funding to inflict maximum pain on the American people. 42 million Americans, including 1 in every 5 New Mexicans, relies on SNAP to feed their families. That\u2019s why I\u2019m leading my colleagues to introduce legislation that would ensure the Trump administration immediately releases available funds to keep nutrition programs running.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery president before Trump\u2014Republican or Democrat\u2014kept food on the table during a shutdown. Trump and Senate Republicans are the first in history to make the cruel and unprecedented decision to let tens of millions of Americans go hungry,\u201d said Leader Schumer. \u201cThis pain doesn\u2019t need to happen: Trump is choosing to inflict it on American families. He\u2019s choosing cruelty over compassion, politics over people. Democrats\u2019 bill would make sure no child, no parent, no veteran misses a meal because of Trump\u2019s shutdown\u2014and Republicans should help us pass it now, and fund SNAP and WIC before this hunger crisis hits home.\u201d\n\n\u201cFood assistance has never stopped going to Americans in need during a government shutdown, and it shouldn\u2019t stop now,\u201d said Senator Klobuchar, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. \u201cThe fastest way to ensure that American families receive the food assistance they need is for the Administration to use resources they already have at their disposal. Choosing not to is unacceptable. Our bill would ensure food assistance from SNAP and WIC are not interrupted if this shutdown continues. Hungry families should never be used as political bargaining chips.\u201d\n\nIn addition to Padilla and Schiff, the legislation is cosponsored by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\n\nLast week, Senators Padilla and Schiff joined 44 Senate colleagues in calling on the USDA to release the billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure SNAP benefits continue in November. Earlier this year, Padilla joined a spotlight forum titled \u201cHunger by Design \u00ad\u2014 The GOP\u2019s Assault on SNAP\u201d to question witnesses and expose President Trump and Republicans\u2019 cruel budget proposal that cut nearly $200 billion in SNAP benefits while giving tax cuts to billionaires. He also repeatedly slammed Republicans\u2019 billionaire-first budget reconciliation bill that is gutting critical programs like SNAP and devastating families in California and across the country. In June, Padilla joined the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to reverse course on Republicans\u2019 plan to take health care and food assistance away from millions of Americans \u2014 including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and veterans \u2014 to pay for tax breaks for ultra-wealthy Americans.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-schiff-senate-democrats-take-action-to-stop-trump-administration-from-illegally-withholding-funding-for-nutrition-assistance-programs/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8154427632689476, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}