The Office of the Governor of the State of Connecticut
10/30/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/30/2025 11:00
Governor Lamont, Coalition of Governors Urge President Trump to Immediately Release Emergency Funding for SNAP
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Ned Lamont and the governors of 20 other states have sent a letterto President Donald Trump urging his administration to immediately release contingency funds held by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to 42 million Americans.
The Trump administration informed states last week that funding for SNAP benefits will not be issued beginning November 1.
Their full letter is as follows:
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The Honorable Donald J. Trump Dear Mr. President, The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) feeds 42 million people, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, and 4 million people with disabilities. We are alarmed that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has instructed states to stop issuing SNAP benefits for November. We are equally alarmed that the USDA has chosen to view use of SNAP contingency funds to cover regular benefits as unlawful per USDA's official memo sent on Friday, October 24th. Rather than allow millions of Americans to go hungry next month, we demand that USDA immediately release the multi-year contingency SNAP funding and supplement any shortfall by utilizing its interchange transfer authority to ensure full SNAP benefits are provided to the 42 million American who rely on them next month. Broadly speaking, SNAP supports approximately 388,000 jobs nationwide and more than $20 billion in direct wages, and it results in over $4.5 billion in state and federal tax revenue. Halting SNAP benefits will put millions of Americans at risk of food insecurity and poverty. SNAP is more than a food assistance program, it is a lifeline. It helps families put nutritious food on the table, supports local farmers and grocers, and strengthens our communities and economy. The USDA's decision to delay SNAP assistance is unacceptable, and we urge your Administration to provide the necessary funding to deliver full benefits to vulnerable Americans in need, especially with Thanksgiving just a few weeks away. SNAP lifts families out of poverty by allowing them to spend money that would otherwise have been used for food on rent, heat, or health care. We know that infants and children in families who receive SNAP are more likely to see a doctor for periodic check-ups. Additionally, older adults receiving SNAP are more likely to take their prescribed medications because they have enough money to afford both food and medicine. No one should have to make those impossible choices. We urge you to immediately direct the USDA to prevent a disruption to SNAP. Every day of delay brings us a day closer to November 1st and tens of millions of our fellow Americans going hungry. Sincerely,
Gretchen E. Whitmer
Tina Kotek
Bob Ferguson
Tim Walz
Janet Mills
Kathy Hochul
Michelle Lujan Grisham
J.B. Pritzker
Wes Moore
Laura Kelly
Andy Beshear
Ned Lamont
Jared Polis
Phil Murphy
Josh Shapiro
Tony Evers
Gavin Newsom
Maura Healey
Katie Hobbs
Dan McKee
Josh Stein |
**Download: Letter from coalition of governors to President Trump on SNAP
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