Sen. Chuck Schumer on Wednesday hit back hard at President Donald Trump over what he called his “heartless” refusal to extend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding on Nov. 1 as the government shutdown stretches on with no end in sight.
Schumer denounced Trump for choosing not to dip into a U.S. Department of Agriculture contingency fund to fund SNAP benefits starting this weekend.
“There is one man who is responsible: It’s Donald Trump and Donald Trump alone,” Schumer told the New York Daily News. “With a snap of his finger, he can restore this money. Not tomorrow, not next week, but today. But he is choosing to hold hostage hungry kids, seniors and veterans.”
The Senate Democratic majority leader derided the administration’s claim that it cannot use the contingency fund money, noting that SNAP benefits were never cut off in previous shutdowns and that Trump recently found up to $40 billion to bail out the right-wing government of Argentina.
“He’s a vicious, heartless man, an unscrupulous politician who would weaponize hunger,” Schumer added.
Schumer spoke to the Daily News minutes after denouncing Trump on the Senate floor for refusing to extend SNAP benefits, which help more than 42 million Americans buy groceries.
“To the most needy people in our society who don’t have food right now … he’s saying to hell with you.” Schumer said.
Schumer vowed Democrats would support a bill introduced by conservative Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to fund SNAP for as long as the shutdown goes on. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has refused to allow the measure to be brought to the floor for a vote.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., also said he would vote for the bill to ease the pain for needy SNAP recipients.
“We can’t let politics starve children,” said Booker.
A coalition of Democratic-led states has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to force the administration to continue funding SNAP.
Thune slammed Democrats for refusing to back a GOP stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government, saying that would be the easiest and best way to ensure SNAP funding is not cut off.
He called on enough Democrats to join Republicans to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster and pass the spending bill.
“The real question is: Are there five Democrats with a spine?” Thune said.
Schumer countered with the harsh new salvo at Trump as the shutdown, which started on Oct. 1, drags on toward the one-month mark, forcing thousands of government workers to be furloughed or work without receiving paychecks.
Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the House Democratic leader, are demanding Trump and Republicans negotiate an extension of tax credits for Obamacare health insurance plans and reverse other health cuts. Republicans say they will only sit down for talks if Democrats first vote to reopen the government.
GOP leaders have even sought to brand the standoff as the #SchumerShutdown. Democrats in both the House and Senate have stayed nearly completely unified so far.
Republicans have also mostly stood firm, although a few rebels like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., have sniped at party leaders for failing to address the crisis of exploding health care costs.
Along with the SNAP cutoff, Schumer slammed Trump for doing nothing to prevent skyrocketing Obamacare health insurance premiums, which hit more than 20 million Americans recipients this week and as open enrollment periods for 2026 open on Nov. 1.
“We are just three days away from the biggest health care crisis America has faced in a generation,” Schumer said. “Due to Republican obstruction, they will have to pay tens of thousands more each year for health care … for a basic need like health insurance.”