Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and 20 other governors are asking President Donald Trump to prevent the suspension of funding for the food aid program SNAP.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is among the casualties of the monthlong federal government shutdown. The program helps feed 42 million people, including 16 million children. But funding for the program is set to be suspended November 1.
In a letter to President Trump, Whitmer and the other governors ask him to immediately direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prevent a disruption to SNAP:
"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."
In addition to Whitmer, the letter is signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, among others.
There are other efforts under way to keep SNAP in operation.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is part of a lawsuit, filed by nearly two dozen attorneys general, filed this week to force the Trump administration not to suspend SNAP.
“Emergency funding exists for exactly this kind of crisis,” Nessel said. “This is a choice the Trump administration is making, but I will continue doing everything in my power to ensure the federal government does not turn its back on the people it is meant to serve.”
Meanwhile, nearly a dozen Republican U.S. Senators have introduced the Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025 which would fund the food aid program until the federal government shutdown ends.
