# Feed Our Families Act of 2025

This bill is designed to protect food assistance benefits during government shutdowns. Specifically, it ensures that SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) continues to operate for the first 90 days if the government runs out of money and shuts down during a fiscal year.

Here's what happens in practice: When Congress fails to pass a budget before the fiscal year begins, the government enters what's called a "lapse in appropriations"—essentially a shutdown where many government programs stop receiving funding. This bill automatically sets aside money from the Treasury to keep SNAP running during that initial 90-day period, so people who depend on food assistance don't suddenly lose access to their benefits. The funds are held in reserve and released only as needed to keep the program operating normally.

The practical impact is straightforward for the roughly 42 million Americans who currently receive SNAP benefits. Without this bill, a government shutdown could mean delayed or missing food assistance payments, creating immediate hardship for families, seniors, and children who rely on these benefits to buy groceries. By guaranteeing funding for the first three months of a shutdown, the bill provides a safety net that prevents a financial crisis from becoming a food crisis. The funds remain available until they're used up, so if the shutdown lasts longer than 90 days, this protection would end and Congress would need to act again to continue the program.

Feed Our Families Act of 2025

Sykes, Emilia Strong

Feed Our Families Act of 2025This bill provides appropriations for carrying out the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 during the first 90-day period of a lapse in discretionary appropriations for carrying out the act during any fiscal year beginning after FY2024. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 is the authorizing statute for several Department of Agriculture nutrition and food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).