The Trump administration is blaming Democrats for an upcoming lapse in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, accusing them of refusing to reopen the federal government to fund the program because they are holding out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures.At the same time, the administration is reportedly refusing to use emergency funds to avoid a lapse in benefits. Related Donald Trump ends LGBTQ+ health programs under the cover of the shutdown Over the weekend, a message appeared on the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) website warning that amid the ongoing government shutdown, SNAP benefits, which provide 1 in 8 Americans with monthly food assistance, will not be paid starting November 1.Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the message reads. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today As the shutdown stretches into its fifth week, Senate Democrats have indeed refused to throw their full weight behind a Republican-backed stopgap bill to reopen the government and fund it at previous levels through November 21. But contrary to the USDA message, Democrats are actually holding out for legislation extending federal subsidies that would prevent the cost of Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance plans from skyrocketing next year. Republicans, meanwhile, refuse to negotiate on those subsidies until Democrats agree to reopen the government.Senate Democrats introduced their own stopgap measure, which would have funded the government through October 31 while extending ACA subsidies and undoing Republican cuts that ban lawfully present immigrants from accessing federal healthcare programs. As NPR reported Monday, an unsigned USDA memo that began circulating on October 24 argues that the approximately $6 billion Congress has set aside in multi-year SNAP contingency funds cannot be used to fund the program during the shutdown.SNAP contingency funds are only available to supplement regular monthly benefits when amounts have been appropriated for, but are insufficient to cover, benefits. The contingency fund is not available to support FY 2026 regular benefits, because the appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists, the memo reads.But as NPR notes, the memo conflicts with the USDAs October 1 shutdown contingency plan. Congressional intent is evident that SNAPs operations should continue during a shutdown, read the plan, which has since been removed from the USDAs website. The multi-year SNAP contingency funds are also available to fund participant benefits in the event that a lapse occurs in the middle of the fiscal year, the plan stated.In a piece responding to the USDAs reference to gender mutilation procedures, journalist Erin Reed warned that the scapegoating of trans healthcare during the government shutdown may increase the likelihood that anti-trans policy riders make it into a government funding package.The ongoing negotiations to reopen the federal government will almost certainly make trans people a bargaining chip again, Reed writes. When Congress debates the full fiscal year 2026 funding bills, dozens of anti-trans provisions are expected to resurface. The USDA message is just the latest posted on the websites of federal agencies to have drawn scrutiny from ethics experts. Earlier this month, Michael Fallings, a partner at employment law firm Tully Rinckey, told NPR that similar communications from government officials blaming Democrats for the shutdown may violate the Hatch Act.The Hatch Act prohibits engaging in political activity while in an official capacity, including communication that contains advocacy in opposition to a political party, Fallings said. Here, while the reference to Democrats alone likely does not constitute a violation, the explicit blaming of the Democratic Party for the shutdown and reference to radical left may constitute a violation.Donald Sherman, executive director and chief counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, meanwhile, told the outlet that while such communications may not technically violate the Hatch Act because they dont explicitly advocate for a specific candidate or weigh in on an election, they violate the spirit of the law.The code of ethics requires that federal employees serve the American public impartially, without regard to their political views, Sherman explained. A shutdown will cause stress for the public regardless of political affiliation. Agency leaderships job in this moment is to provide nonpartisan service to their constituents, not politicize the situation and blame political enemies.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.