As the federal government shutdown stretches into its fourth week, a surprising show of bipartisan cooperation emerged in the Senate on Wednesday. Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, announced that they would support a Republican-led bill to keep food assistance flowing to millions of Americans — a move signaling growing urgency on Capitol Hill to ease the impact of the budget standoff.
At a press conference, Schumer said Democrats would back the Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025, introduced by Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri. The bill would ensure that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — commonly known as food stamps — continues to operate until the government reopens.
“Today, tomorrow, if [Senate Majority Leader] John Thune would put it on the floor, it would pass overwhelmingly,” Schumer told reporters, according to The Hill.
What the Bill Would Do
Senator Hawley’s proposal would allow the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue distributing benefits to families who rely on SNAP, even during the funding lapse. The measure currently has ten Republican co-sponsors, including Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.).
The Department of Agriculture has warned that millions of low-income Americans could lose access to food assistance as early as this weekend if Congress does not act. According to the USDA, the program served about 41.7 million people per month in fiscal year 2024, costing nearly $100 billion annually — or about $187 per recipient each month.
A related federal program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), supports 6.7 million participants and covers more than 40 percent of U.S. infants. WIC’s budget totaled $7.2 billion last year.
A Democratic Counterproposal
While Democrats expressed support for Hawley’s bill, they also introduced a broader version that would protect both SNAP and WIC recipients. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) unveiled the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025, which has the backing of every Senate Democrat.
“The goal is simple,” Luján said on the Senate floor. “No family should go hungry because Congress can’t agree on a funding bill.”
However, Republican leaders, including Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), maintain that the simplest way to reopen these programs is for Democrats to pass the House-approved temporary funding extension, which would end the shutdown altogether.
USDA’s Limited Options
USDA officials have said they will not dip into roughly $5 billion in emergency contingency funds, explaining that those dollars are reserved for disasters such as hurricanes or floods — not for maintaining operations during a government shutdown.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told CNN that the department “cannot legally use the contingency funds” to issue November benefits, meaning about $9.2 billion in assistance for next month remains in limbo.
Heated Debate, but Renewed Negotiations
Tensions flared in the Senate this week as frustration over the shutdown deepened. Thune, usually measured in tone, accused Democrats of repeatedly blocking attempts to reopen the government.
“We tried to do that 13 times! You voted ‘no’ 13 times,” he said in response to Luján’s request for a standalone vote on SNAP funding. “You all just figured out, 29 days in, that there might be some consequences.”
Despite the sharp exchanges, both sides acknowledged that behind-the-scenes talks are intensifying. Thune told reporters that private discussions between party leaders “have ticked up significantly” and that renewed negotiations could begin soon.
“There are more senators, both Republicans and Democrats, talking to each other about what it would take,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.). “The question now is what the path forward looks like.”
Pressure Mounts to End the Shutdown
Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she sees signs that Democrats are beginning to recognize the need for compromise. “If they want to retain influence over spending decisions, we need to pass appropriations,” she said.
With tens of millions of Americans depending on SNAP and WIC for food assistance — and agencies reaching the end of available funding — both parties face increasing pressure to act quickly.
Whether the Senate moves forward with Hawley’s narrowly focused SNAP bill or Luján’s broader version, lawmakers agree on one point: the longer the shutdown lasts, the heavier the toll on families, workers, and local communities across the country.
