The Trump administration is rejecting calls to use roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep food assistance flowing into November amid the ongoing government shutdown , according to a Department of Agriculture memo obtained by The Associated Press. The decision raises fresh concerns that millions of Americans could lose access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits if the shutdown continues into next month.

The two-page document states that the contingency funds “are not legally available to cover regular benefits,” arguing the money is reserved for emergencies such as natural disasters. It cites Tropical Storm Melissa—forecast to strengthen into a major hurricane—as an example of why those funds must remain available for rapid disaster response.

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