Bessent signals SNAP benefits could restart Wednesday
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Government shutdown live: Trump urges Senate GOP to go ‘nuclear’ on filibuster as economic pain points mount
The government shutdown is less than a week from breaking the record as the longest in US history. President Trump has called for Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to force an end to the shutdown. A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from suspending those benefits, though it is likely to face appeal. Air traffic controllers became the latest group of federal workers to go without pay on Tuesday as flight interruptions continue to spread. Saturday is the beginning of an open enrollment period for healthcare programs run by Obamacare exchanges.
“THE CHOICE IS CLEAR — INITIATE THE ‘NUCLEAR OPTION,’” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Trump’s call throws a potential wrench into GOP leaders’ carefully laid plans. Both parties have, in recent years, taken steps to erode the filibuster, a Senate rule that requires most legislation to abide by a 60-vote threshold. But both parties have stopped short of eliminating the rule, fearing repercussions upon losing control of the chamber.
Trump’s comments also came amid whispers on Capitol Hill that negotiations could finally be in the offing.
In focus before lawmakers return next week are Trump administration plans to not fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — also known as food stamps — starting this weekend.
Those benefits are received by roughly one in eight Americans, with the economic and human costs of a cutoff likely to mount quickly. A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from suspending those benefits, though it is likely to face appeal.
Also this week, air traffic controllers became the latest group of federal workers to go without pay. They missed their first full paycheck on Tuesday as flight interruptions continue to spread.
Active duty members of the military, who have paychecks due at the end of the month, appear set for a reprieve after Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration will likely find money to make this payment.
Democrats, meanwhile, are focused on another deadline this coming weekend when they hope the political pressure on Republicans will increase.
Saturday is the beginning of an open enrollment period for healthcare programs run by Affordable Care Act exchanges. Premium increases there — with Democrats looking to extend enhanced government subsidies for those plans — are at the heart of the impasse.
Read more: How the government shutdown impacts your money: student loans, Social Security, investments, and more
Here are the latest updates as the impacts of the government shutdown unfold.
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40 updates
Food Stamp Payments Could Restart by Wednesday as Ordered by Judge: Bessent
A federal court ruled that the Trump administration must present a plan to start issuing full SNAP payments by Monday, or partial payments by Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had warned on Oct. 25 that the “well has run dry” and that no benefits would be issued on Saturday. The agency stated in a memo obtained by The Epoch Times a day prior that USDA emergency funds cannot legally be used to keep the SNAP program running if Congress doesn’t vote to pass a funding agreement. The memo contradicted the USDA’s Sept. 30 “Lapse of Funding Plan” page that has since been deleted from the agency’s website. The Trump administration will not appeal the court ruling, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN on Nov. 2. He added that “five Democratic senators could cross the aisle and open the government by Wednesday,” saying that would be “the easiest way to do this” The government shutdown is now in its fifth week.
The Trump administration is waiting to hear from the courts on funding food stamp benefits for low-income Americans during the ongoing government shutdown, and payments could restart by Nov. 5 per a court order, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Bessent was asked by CNN’s “State of the Union” on Nov. 2 about the recent federal court ruling in Rhode Island that ordered the Trump administration to make full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food aid benefit payments available by Monday, or partial payments by Wednesday.
When asked if payments could resume by Wednesday, he said they “could be.”
He added that “five Democratic senators could cross the aisle and open the government by Wednesday,” saying that would be “the easiest way to do this.”
Bessent said the Trump administration will not appeal the court ruling.
President Donald Trump “needs to hear from the courts how this is going to be done,” Bessent said.
Food stamp payments—which more than 41 million Americans rely on every month to survive—did not go out on Nov. 1 as originally scheduled, as the government shutdown enters its fifth week.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had warned on Oct. 25 that the “well has run dry” and that no benefits would be issued on Saturday.
The agency stated in a memo obtained by The Epoch Times a day prior that USDA emergency funds cannot legally be used to keep the SNAP program running if Congress doesn’t vote to pass a funding agreement.
The memo states that the money is used for emergencies such as “hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, that can come on quickly and without notice.”
However, the memo contradicted the USDA’s Sept. 30 “Lapse of Funding Plan” page that has since been deleted from the agency’s website.
“Congressional intent is evident that SNAP’s operations should continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds that can be used for State Administrative Expenses to ensure that the State can also continue operations during a Federal Government shutdown,” the agency’s now-deleted shutdown policy reads. “These multi-year contingency funds are also available to fund participant benefits in the event that a lapse occurs in the middle of the fiscal year.”
When asked by CNN about the now-deleted “Lapse of Funding Plan” directive, Bessent said Trump is “very anxious to get this done, and it’s got to go through the courts.” Court Rejects Trump Admin Claims Judge John J. McConnell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island on Friday rejected the USDA’s argument that it could not send out SNAP payments during the government shutdown.
“There is no question that the congressionally approved contingency funds must be used now because of the shutdown,” McConnell wrote in the order. “In fact, the President during his first term issued guidance indicating that these contingency funds are available if SNAP funds lapse due to a government shutdown.”
He issued an order on Saturday giving the Trump administration until Nov. 3 to present a plan to pay full benefits on that day, or at least partial benefit payments by Nov. 5.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities President Sharon Parrott, who worked in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from 2016 to 2017, said the Trump administration is legally required to keep SNAP payments flowing during a government shutdown.
“The Administration itself admits these reserves are available for use. It could have, and should have, taken steps weeks ago to be ready to use these funds,” Parrott said in an Oct. 23 statement
In a separate interview on Sunday, CNN asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about the fact that if emergency supplemental funds are used for SNAP, they would likely only keep food stamp benefits going for two to three weeks, and whether that would cause more Democrats to “rethink the strategy” and ultimately vote for the government funding bill.
“We’re continuing to make life better for the American people. We want to reopen the government,” Jeffries said. “We want to enact a bipartisan spending agreement that actually makes life better for everyday Americans. And, of course, we want to make sure that we can decisively address the Republican health care crisis, which is crushing people all across the country.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
Food Stamp Payments Could Restart by Wednesday as Ordered by Judge: Bessent
A federal court ruled that the Trump administration must present a plan to start issuing full SNAP payments by Monday, or partial payments by Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had warned on Oct. 25 that the “well has run dry” and that no benefits would be issued on Saturday. The agency stated in a memo obtained by The Epoch Times a day prior that USDA emergency funds cannot legally be used to keep the SNAP program running if Congress doesn’t vote to pass a funding agreement. The memo contradicted the USDA’s Sept. 30 “Lapse of Funding Plan” page that has since been deleted from the agency’s website. The Trump administration will not appeal the court ruling, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN on Nov. 2. He added that “five Democratic senators could cross the aisle and open the government by Wednesday,” saying that would be “the easiest way to do this” The government shutdown is now in its fifth week.
The Trump administration is waiting to hear from the courts on funding food stamp benefits for low-income Americans during the ongoing government shutdown, and payments could restart by Nov. 5 per a court order, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Bessent was asked by CNN’s “State of the Union” on Nov. 2 about the recent federal court ruling in Rhode Island that ordered the Trump administration to make full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food aid benefit payments available by Monday, or partial payments by Wednesday.
When asked if payments could resume by Wednesday, he said they “could be.”
He added that “five Democratic senators could cross the aisle and open the government by Wednesday,” saying that would be “the easiest way to do this.”
Bessent said the Trump administration will not appeal the court ruling.
President Donald Trump “needs to hear from the courts how this is going to be done,” Bessent said.
Food stamp payments—which more than 41 million Americans rely on every month to survive—did not go out on Nov. 1 as originally scheduled, as the government shutdown enters its fifth week.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had warned on Oct. 25 that the “well has run dry” and that no benefits would be issued on Saturday.
The agency stated in a memo obtained by The Epoch Times a day prior that USDA emergency funds cannot legally be used to keep the SNAP program running if Congress doesn’t vote to pass a funding agreement.
The memo states that the money is used for emergencies such as “hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, that can come on quickly and without notice.”
However, the memo contradicted the USDA’s Sept. 30 “Lapse of Funding Plan” page that has since been deleted from the agency’s website.
“Congressional intent is evident that SNAP’s operations should continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds that can be used for State Administrative Expenses to ensure that the State can also continue operations during a Federal Government shutdown,” the agency’s now-deleted shutdown policy reads. “These multi-year contingency funds are also available to fund participant benefits in the event that a lapse occurs in the middle of the fiscal year.”
When asked by CNN about the now-deleted “Lapse of Funding Plan” directive, Bessent said Trump is “very anxious to get this done, and it’s got to go through the courts.” Court Rejects Trump Admin Claims Judge John J. McConnell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island on Friday rejected the USDA’s argument that it could not send out SNAP payments during the government shutdown.
“There is no question that the congressionally approved contingency funds must be used now because of the shutdown,” McConnell wrote in the order. “In fact, the President during his first term issued guidance indicating that these contingency funds are available if SNAP funds lapse due to a government shutdown.”
He issued an order on Saturday giving the Trump administration until Nov. 3 to present a plan to pay full benefits on that day, or at least partial benefit payments by Nov. 5.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities President Sharon Parrott, who worked in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from 2016 to 2017, said the Trump administration is legally required to keep SNAP payments flowing during a government shutdown.
“The Administration itself admits these reserves are available for use. It could have, and should have, taken steps weeks ago to be ready to use these funds,” Parrott said in an Oct. 23 statement
In a separate interview on Sunday, CNN asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about the fact that if emergency supplemental funds are used for SNAP, they would likely only keep food stamp benefits going for two to three weeks, and whether that would cause more Democrats to “rethink the strategy” and ultimately vote for the government funding bill.
“We’re continuing to make life better for the American people. We want to reopen the government,” Jeffries said. “We want to enact a bipartisan spending agreement that actually makes life better for everyday Americans. And, of course, we want to make sure that we can decisively address the Republican health care crisis, which is crushing people all across the country.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
Treasury Secretary Bessent says SNAP food benefits could restart by Wednesday
SNAP food benefits could restart as early as Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday morning. Two federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled on Friday that the Trump administration must use emergency funds to pay SNAP benefits. The administration was originally set to cut off the aid on Nov. 1. President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that the government was exploring its options to restart SNAP.
SNAP food benefits could restart as early as Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday morning.
Two federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled on Friday that the Trump administration must use emergency funds to pay SNAP benefits, which help feed 42 million Americans, during the government shutdown.
Judge Jack McConnell of Rhode Island also directed that these be paid out of emergency funds “as soon as possible.” Boston Judge Indira Talwani gave the administration until Monday to tell her if it will authorize at least reduced SNAP benefits for November.
The administration was originally set to cut off the aid on Nov. 1.
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Bessent said that the administration would not appeal the court ruling, while adding that finding the funds to pay SNAP benefits by Wednesday “could be” done.
“There’s a process that has to be followed. So, we’ve got to figure out what the process is,” the Treasury secretary said.
On Friday, President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that the government was exploring its options to restart SNAP.
“I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT,” the president wrote. “Therefore, I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.”
Key Moments From Dodgers’ Wild World Series Game 7 Win Over Blue Jays
The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 11 innings. The game was one of the wildest Game 7s in World Series history. The Dodgers are the first team to win three games in a row since the Yankees in 2000. The Blue Jays had taken a 3-0 lead in the third before the Dodgers fought back with three runs in the fourth. It was the first extra-innings homer in the World Series for the Blue Jays, who had won the first two games of the series 3-1 and 2-1. The win was the third for the Dodgers in the Series, the first time they’ve won back-to-back games in the postseason since 1988. The last time they did it was in 1988, when they beat the New York Yankees 3-2. The victory was the Dodgers’ first World Series win since 1988, and their first since they won their first title in 1988. They had lost the previous two World Series, both to the Yankees.
TORONTO—Late homers by Miguel Rojas and Will Smith rallied the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Toronto Blue Jays 5–4 in 11 innings Saturday night—one of the wildest Game 7s in World Series history.
Los Angeles overcame 3-0 and 4-2 deficits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to become baseball’s first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees won three titles in a row.
Here are the top moments from the epic Game 7: Bo Bichette Chases Shohei Ohtani Off the Mound The Blue Jays took an early 3–0 lead when Bichette connected against Ohtani for his first homer since Sept. 2—a few days before sustaining a left knee injury that sidelined him until the World Series and still hampered him throughout.
Ohtani was pitching on three days of rest, and although he was up to 100.9 mph with his fastball, his command was shaky and he appeared to run out of steam in the third. After fielding Nathan Lukes’ sacrifice bunt, he threw a wild pitch to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and allowed Bichette’s homer on the next pitch, his 51st and last of the night. Benches Clear After Andrés Giménez Is Plunked Both benches and bullpens cleared after Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski hit Giménez on the right hand with a pitch in the fourth inning. Wrobleski had already thrown two high-and-inside fastballs to Giménez with his first and fourth pitches before hitting him with a 96.4 mph fastball with one out.
After the players returned to their benches and bullpens, the umpires huddled briefly before crew chief Mark Wegner issued a warning to both teams. Play resumed after a four-minute break between pitches. Miguel Rojas Becomes Postseason Hero Max Muncy trimmed Toronto’s lead to 4–3 with a solo homer in the eighth, and that also guaranteed Ohtani would bat in the ninth. But the two-way superstar didn’t have to be the hero, after all.
Rojas hit the first tying home run in the ninth inning or later of a World Series Game 7, according to Stats Perform. His one-out drive off Jeff Hoffman was just his second home run since the All-Star break and his second in 20 career postseason games. Dodgers Narrowly Escape Bottom of the 9th Blake Snell allowed two Toronto baserunners, prompting Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to bring in Yoshinobu Yamamoto a day after he threw 96 pitches in a Game 6 victory. Yamamoto hit Alejandro Kirk with a pitch, loading the bases, before the Dodgers escaped with two helter-skelter defensive plays.
With the infield playing in to prevent the winning run, Rojas fielded Daulton Varsho’s grounder to second base and nearly fell over. He gathered himself and threw home, but the toss briefly pulled Smith off the plate. Smith’s toe barely reconnected with the plate in time to get the forceout, a call confirmed by video review.
Then center fielder Andy Pages, who had just been inserted off the bench to provide better defense, collided with left fielder Kiké Hernández while catching Ernie Clement’s long fly on the left-center warning track. Pages held on for the final out of the inning despite knocking Hernández to the ground. Blue Jays Strand 3 Runners in the 10th Los Angeles loaded the bases with one out in the 10th inning, but Seranthony Domínguez got two quick outs to escape. Giménez threw out Mookie Betts at home plate on Pages’ grounder to shortstop, then Guerrero fielded Hernández’s grounder to first and flipped to Domínguez covering the bag on a close play. Will Smith Enters World Series Lore Smith set a record for most innings caught in a single World Series with 74, and he helped ensure he wouldn’t have to catch a 75th with his solo shot in the 11th.
Smith hit a 2–0 slider from Shane Bieber into the Blue Jays’ bullpen in left field, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night. It was the first extra-inning homer in a World Series Game 7. Yamamoto Closes It Out Guerrero doubled off Yamamoto leading off the bottom of the 11th and advanced to third on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s sacrifice bunt, and Toronto got the potential winning run on base when Addison Barger walked.
Yamamoto then induced a game-ending 6–6–3 double play from Kirk, cementing the Dodgers’ second consecutive title and his World Series MVP award.
Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5585603-trump-funding-snap-benefits/