‘REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT’: President Trump says the administration is seeking clarity on whether SNAP can be funded in a government shutdown, but emphasizes lawyers “do not think we have the legal authority.”

In this context, Trump was explaining that his administration was exploring whether SNAP benefits could continue to be funded during the shutdown, but that White House and agency lawyers believed there was no clear legal authority to do so without congressional appropriations. His statement, “Reopen the government,” was a call for Congress to end the funding lapse so that programs like SNAP could continue operating normally.

This kind of situation arises because, during a shutdown, many federal programs require active funding from Congress, and agencies are limited by the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits spending money not appropriated by law. Essential services continue, but programs like SNAP depend on how much prior funding or contingency authority remains.

The shutdown began after Congress and President Donald Trump failed to agree on funding for a border wall along the U.S.–Mexico border.

During the shutdown, about 800,000 federal workers were furloughed or worked without pay, and many government programs were disrupted.

Among the concerns was the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — the nation’s largest food assistance program, serving tens of millions of low-income Americans.

When Trump said the administration was seeking clarity on whether SNAP could be funded, he was responding to questions about whether the Department of Agriculture (USDA) could continue issuing food stamp benefits during the shutdown. Government lawyers reportedly told the administration that they lacked the legal authority to fully fund SNAP beyond a limited period without a new appropriations bill from Congress.

Ultimately, the USDA found temporary funding to keep SNAP running through February 2019, but there was significant uncertainty and anxiety among recipients and states administering the program.