The U.S. Department of Agriculture informed the Oklahoma Department of Human Services that federal funding for SNAP will be suspended on Nov. 1, according to a press release from ODHS.
Congress failed to reach an agreement to fund the federal government for the 2026 fiscal year, causing a lapse in federal money for programs.
Earlier this month, USDA officials sent a letter to SNAP directors saying if the lapse in appropriations continues, there will not be enough money to fully cover November benefits for the program's shoppers. There are nearly 42 million people participating in SNAP across the country, according to the latest USDA numbers.
Stacy Dykstra, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma's CEO, said the nonprofit is focused on figuring out how people can have access to food if the shutdown lingers.
"It is so scary because it's not like there's a big safety net there of other ways to get food for the folks that are receiving SNAP," Dykstra said. "They're receiving SNAP because there aren't any other resources available."
The bank is sourcing more food in preparation, working with the rest of the Feeding America Network and directing people to its website to find more resources. Dykstra said Oklahomans are great at coming together to take care of their neighbors.
"And there has never been a more important time for that to happen," Dykstra said. "We're having that conversation now, and it's going to take everybody across our state to be looking out for one another and checking in on our neighbors to make sure people have food."
The pause to SNAP benefits comes after a year of record demand at the food bank. Dykstra said the organization is starting to see more people trickle in since the shutdown began — some for the first time. She said a lot of people have been furloughed or are working without pay and are looking for resources.
Oklahoma officials say households can continue to use existing money on their SNAP EBT cards until next month and encourages participants to lock their unused cards to protect against electronic theft of benefits..
The suspension of benefits will last until the federal government reaches a budget resolution, and the department is urging SNAP shoppers to plan ahead and budget.
In a press release, Oklahoma House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, said mainly seniors, veterans and children rely on SNAP. Now they'll have to turn to already overwhelmed community resources.
"This is a direct result of those in Congress not doing the job they were elected to do to serve their constituents and protect the services and jobs on which Oklahomans rely," Munson said in the release. "I urge Oklahomans to take advantage of local community resources as they need."
Republican Senator James Lankford said federal Democrats are choosing politics over paychecks and the most vulnerable.
"...As the shutdown drags on, the reality is the only way to guarantee paychecks for federal employees, keep America's skies safe for travelers, and ensure critical safety-net programs remain available for Oklahomans in need is to reopen the government," Lankford said in a statement.
Another food assistance program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, is also facing a budget shortfall. Recently, the Trump Administration announced it will use tariff revenue to keep the program going, but advocates say year-round funding is needed.
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