Nothing says “fiscal responsibility” quite like cutting off food for 3.5 million Texans — including 1.7 million kids — because Congress can’t meet a deadline. Texas officials have begun warning residents that their food benefits could disappear in November if the federal government’s latest “oops, we ran out of democracy” moment drags past October 27.
SNAP, better known as food stamps, currently feeds more people than there are in the entire Houston metro area. The USDA says the program has money through October, but after that? Sorry, the cupboard’s bare. Lone Star Cards might soon just be shiny pieces of plastic — perfect for scraping crumbs off empty plates.
Locally, over 40,000 Lubbock County residents depend on SNAP. That’s 40,000 people about to find out whether “Lubbock hospitality” extends beyond ribbon cuttings and tailgates. Local outreach groups are already warning folks to use what they’ve got and start leaning on food banks and churches — because apparently Jesus and the South Plains Food Bank are now the country’s backup economic plan.
Maybe the next shutdown can target congressional paychecks instead. But sure, let’s start with hungry kids — that’ll teach Washington a lesson.
https://www.texastribune.org/2025/10/17/texas-snap-federal-shutdown/
https://everytexan.org/2025/06/25/data-brief-2025-texas-snap-recipient-profile/
