Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued a statement criticizing congressional Democrats for “holding federal dollars hostage,” as a lapse in appropriations due to the ongoing government shutdown threatens to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for more than 690,000 Tennesseans in November.
In a letter dated October 10, Ronald Ward, the acting associate administrator for SNAP at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, announced that 42 million people across the nation could lose access to SNAP benefits beginning November 1 if the current lapse in appropriations continues and a backup plan is not implemented.
“[I]f the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation,” the letter stated.
Congress has a responsibility to fund the federal government, & while Democrats continue to hold federal dollars hostage, my administration is working with members of the faith community & nonprofit partners to ensure TN families do not go hungry. pic.twitter.com/7s9OZly65o
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) October 24, 2025
As of Friday, the 24th day of the government shutdown, the Department of Agriculture has not announced a plan for SNAP recipients to receive November benefits.
In a statement, the governor said that while his administration is “working with members of the faith community and nonprofit partners to ensure Tennessee families do not go hungry,” he called on congressional Democrats to vote to end the shutdown.
“Congress has a responsibility to fund the federal government…I share the frustration of hardworking Tennesseans who will be impacted by this temporary lapse, and sincerely hope Democrats will choose to put the American people ahead of politics and reopen the government now,” Lee said.
Noting how Tennessee receives approximately $146 million per month from the federal government to fund the state’s SNAP program, Lee’s office emphasized how states are unable to utilize state dollars to fund SNAP as they lack “a mechanism to load benefits onto customer cards.”
“We understand that this situation creates anxiety for many families, employees, and community partners who depend on the SNAP program, and when federal operations resume, we will be ready to act quickly,” Tennessee Department of Human Services Commissioner Clarence H. Carter said.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
