As the federal government shutdown halts funding for SNAP, more than 42 million Americans — including 5.5 million in California — face the sudden loss of food assistance, deepening hunger, poverty, and inequality across the nation.
More than 42 million Americans are at risk of losing access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as of November 1, due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. The impact will be devastating for millions of low-income families who depend on food stamps to survive. In California, where the program is known as CalFresh, more than 5.5 million people — including one in every eight children — will be affected. Thirty states have said they cannot replace the lost federal funds, and 25, including California, have filed lawsuits against the government over the abrupt cutoff of benefits.
In the briefing “42 Million Americans Will Lose Access to SNAP Amid Government Shutdown”, organized by American Community Media (ACoM), four experts discussed the immediate crisis and the long-term consequences of a shrinking federal food budget: Jamie Bussel of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Joseph Llobrera of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Eric Valladares of Family Connections; and Gina Plata-Niño of the Food Research & Action Center.
Hunger, Poverty, and an Avoidable Crisis
“The loss of SNAP is not just a food crisis — it’s a national public health emergency,” warned Jamie Bussel, emphasizing that children and rural communities will be hit hardest. “We’re talking about millions of families being forced to choose between eating and paying rent. There’s nothing abstract about that.”
SNAP remains the country’s largest safety net against hunger. Yet the government shutdown has frozen funding and halted state-level distribution systems. In California, local officials have already admitted they cannot fill the financial gap.
For Joseph Llobrera, the impact will be both immediate and unequal: “Black and Latino households — those already facing the highest food costs — will be the first to fall into severe food insecurity.” He noted that the issue extends far beyond the current cuts. Earlier this year, Congress passed legislation slashing the SNAP budget by $287 billion over the next decade and introducing new work requirements that could exclude thousands of recipients.
“Cuts don’t promote self-sufficiency,” Llobrera said. “They promote hunger. And hunger has direct consequences on health, education, and the nation’s productivity.”
Communities on the Edge
Eric Valladares, executive director of Family Connections, brought the human dimension of the crisis into focus. “At our community centers, we’re already seeing longer lines every morning,” he said. “Parents come in with children who haven’t had breakfast. Seniors ask for an extra food box because they don’t know if they’ll receive benefits next week.”
Valladares explained that the end of SNAP won’t just empty dinner tables — it will overwhelm food banks and local organizations already stretched thin. “No community is equipped to absorb a loss of this magnitude,” he said.The shutdown has also disrupted complementary programs such as Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), worsening the strain on mothers and children. “We’re witnessing a domino effect: less access, more hunger, more stress, more illness,” Valladares added.
Food Justice and a Call to Action
Gina Plata-Niño, interim director for SNAP at the Food Research & Action Center, closed the session with a blunt message: “Hunger is not inevitable — it’s a political choice.” She argued that federal programs like SNAP are essential to ensuring food equity, particularly for vulnerable communities.
Plata-Niño pointed out that the narrative framing food benefits as “dependency” has long been used to justify budget cuts. “This isn’t about charity — it’s about rights,” she said. “Access to food is a basic human right, and dismantling SNAP is a direct attack on that principle.”
The panelists agreed that the solution demands political leadership, state-level coordination, and stronger public communication. “Every journalist, every official, and every citizen has a role to play,” Bussel urged. “Telling these stories is the first form of resistance. Hunger must return to the center of the national conversation.”