KEVIN FREKING and MARY CLARE JALONICK.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks with reporters following a closed-door meeting of Senate Republicans on day 28 of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Food aid at risk of expiring as effort to fund SNAP benefits fails in Senate

Food aid for more than 40 million Americans is at risk of expiring at week’s end. Republican leaders in Congress said it’s all or nothing Wednesday as they rejected a Democratic push for a temporary fix. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said that SNAP benefits have never stopped during previous government shutdowns and urged quick passage of the funding bill. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans would not let Democrats pick winners and losers by funding only parts of the federal government. Thune said “it’s time to fund everybody.” The Department of Agriculture says the SNAP benefits will end Friday.

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