Treasury Secretary Bessent Faces Questions on SNAP Funding Amid Shutdown
The Trump administration is under scrutiny for its handling of food assistance funding, as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent struggled to clarify the situation during an interview on CNN. On Sunday, October 1, 2023, Bessent was questioned by CNN’s Jake Tapper about the administration’s failure to utilize available funds to support recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) amid a government shutdown.
Approximately 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, did not receive their SNAP benefits on September 30, 2023. The shutdown stems from ongoing disputes over health care subsidies. Despite having access to a $6 billion emergency fund designated for food assistance programs, the administration has opted not to release these resources. Instead, it has redirected alternative funding to pay active service members during the shutdown.
During the interview, Tapper pointed out that a memo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, dated September 30, indicated that these emergency funds could be accessed to provide benefits. “Now, it’d only be two or three weeks, but that’s a lot for people who need the food,” Tapper remarked.
Bessent responded by attributing the delay to “the courts,” referencing a recent social media post from Donald Trump in which the President claimed conflicting judicial opinions hindered the administration’s actions regarding SNAP funding. Bessent stated, “The court keeps jamming up things, Democrats are in the middle of a civil war, and they should just open the government; that is the easiest way to do this.”
However, Bessent’s assertion conflicts with the reality of recent court rulings. In Massachusetts, a federal judge deemed the administration’s suspension of SNAP benefits during the shutdown as “unlawful,” mandating that the government tap into emergency funds for at least partial payments. A similar ruling was issued by a federal judge in Rhode Island.
Tapper challenged Bessent’s claims regarding the courts, seeking clarification on whether the administration intended to appeal the judge’s ruling. “Is the administration going to appeal the ruling by the judge, is that what you mean by the courts need to weigh in?” Tapper pressed. “Because the courts have weighed in.”
Bessent appeared hesitant in his response, stating that the administration was still determining the legal process necessary for distributing SNAP payments. “Uh, no, but… there’s a process that has to be followed, so we’ve got to figure out what the process is,” he said. “President Trump wants to make sure that people get their food benefits.”
When pressed by Tapper on the timeline for resolving the issue, Bessent suggested that payments could potentially be processed by Wednesday, but added, “five Democratic senators could cross the aisle and open the government by Wednesday.”
The uncertainty surrounding SNAP funding continues to impact millions of Americans reliant on this crucial assistance. As the government shutdown persists, the urgency for a resolution grows, especially for those facing food insecurity.
