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A top US official has indicated that food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could resume as early as this week amid the ongoing government shutdown.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Roughly 42 million Americans rely on the SNAP benefits each month to help cover the cost of groceries. SNAP primarily serves low-income individuals and families, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. To qualify, households must meet both gross and net income tests, generally falling below 130% of the federal poverty line, though specific thresholds vary by state and household size. As of 2023 data, the average monthly SNAP benefit per person was approximately $187.

What’s going on now: During an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on State of the Union, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration is working to restore SNAP benefits following a series of federal court rulings that ordered the government to tap into emergency funds. When asked if benefits could be restored by Wednesday, Bessent replied, “Could be,” adding, “There’s a process that has to be followed. So, we’ve got to figure out what the process is.” He stressed that “President Trump wants to make sure that people get their food benefits.”

Bessent also confirmed that the administration does not plan to appeal a judge’s ruling requiring the federal government to issue SNAP payments immediately, but noted that reactivating benefits would still require navigating legal and logistical hurdles.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers SNAP, previously stated that it lacked both the legal power and adequate funds to continue payments during the shutdown. The agency posted a message on its website saying “the well has run dry,” and directly blamed Democrats, writing, “Senate Democrats have now voted 13 times to not fund the food stamp program.” According to USDA estimates, the contingency fund holds about $5.25 billion (far short of the $9.2 billion needed to cover a full month of benefits). Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has argued that even if emergency funds are used, they won’t fully meet the demand, and implementing partial benefits at a national scale poses significant operational challenges.

While millions struggle to buy groceries, the political blame game over the lapse in SNAP funding continues to intensify on both sides of the aisle. President Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.” Republican leaders have echoed that line, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune posting, “If there are any Democrats out there who care about the damage this shutdown is doing, then I have a bill at the desk: A clean, nonpartisan CR to fund WIC, SNAP, troop pay… and more.”

Democrats, meanwhile, accuse the administration of weaponizing hunger for political leverage. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “It’s very unfortunate that Donald Trump and Republicans have decided to weaponize hunger and withhold SNAP benefits,” while Senator Bernie Sanders called it “disgusting,” arguing, “They are refusing to spend money that Congress appropriated for the SNAP program to feed hungry Americans in the event of a shutdown.”

More to come.