Aww. SNAP!

The SNAP Shutdown Saga: NPS vs. the White House

Ah, the plot thickens in this SNAP showdown—now the National Park Service (NPS) is dropping truth bombs on Facebook, turning a budget brawl into a full-on federal family feud. (Pro tip: When even the rangers are side-eyeing the White House, you know it's bad.)

Let's dissect this post with the latest dirt from the shutdown saga, because yeah, it's as messy as a Yosemite trail after a bear buffet.

The Post: NPS Goes Full Activist Mode

The official NPS Facebook page (which, fun fact, has 15M+ followers and usually sticks to majestic elk pics) fired off this zinger on October 25, 2025, amid the shutdown's week four chaos. It's a direct shot at the Trump admin's USDA for issuing a memo that basically says, "No soup for you—in November."

The Trump administration’s USDA issued new guidance stating it will not use existing funds to cover SNAP benefits if the government shutdown extends beyond October 31. This move effectively threatens to withhold billions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) contingency funding (money that Congress has already allocated for emergency use) if the shutdown continues into November. A reminder to the Trump administration: withholding funds already allocated by Congress is illegal, though they continue to act as if they are above the law.

The post calls out the refusal to dip into ~$5–6 billion in congressionally allocated contingency funds (meant for emergencies, including lapses like this), labeling it an illegal power grab. And the kicker? It accuses the admin of acting “above the law,” which has ruffled feathers from DC to Denali.

This isn't NPS's first rodeo with shutdown shade—parks are already half-staffed, with visitor centers shuttered and rangers furloughed. But weighing in on SNAP? That's a bold pivot, tying park woes to broader federal famine fears.

Critics on the right are calling it “weaponized bureaucracy,” while left-leaning outlets hail it as a “cry for the vulnerable.”

The USDA Memo: The Smoking Gun (or Empty Pantry?)

On October 24, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins dropped a two-page memo stating flat-out: No using the contingency fund for November's ~$8 billion SNAP tab if the shutdown drags past Halloween.

The USDA argues the funds are reserved for “true emergencies” like hurricanes, not “Democrat-manufactured shutdowns.”

October benefits? Safe. November? Hold the turkey—42 million Americans could get zilch starting the 1st, right as holiday hunger spikes.

Is It Actually Illegal? The Legal Hunger Games

Yes, withholding appropriated funds may violate the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Courts may see SCOTUS drama by December.

Bottom line: It’s legally gray enough for courts, but politically? Pure napalm.

Tying Back to Our Banter: Who Ya Got?

Families aren’t pawns in this—they’re the board. If banter’s the game, NPS just dropped the mic: “Above the law? Nah, even Smokey Bear knows rules apply to forest fires and funding fights.”

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© 2025 | Analysis & Commentary by Shane Shipman