Billionaires Step In to Help Plug Food Aid Gaps During Shutdown

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Bloomberg

November 1, 2025 at 10:30 AM EDT


Wealthy philanthropists across the country are stepping in to help put food on the tables of 42 million Americans set to lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — better known as SNAP — over the weekend. In San Francisco, the city announced a public-private partnership with billionaire venture capitalist Michael Moritz’s foundation, which is matching city funding with a $9 million gift.

The Robin Hood Foundation in New York has contributed $1 million to an emergency fund, while in Massachusetts, real estate developer Bill Cummings’ foundation pledged $1 million to a nonprofit that aims to offset some of the cuts. “You’re going to have real people, real families, you’re going to have children who will go hungry beginning this weekend when those resources dry up,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters Friday.

The gifts are just a drop in the bucket compared with the $9.2 billion needed to fully fund the aid for November, but are meant to soften the economic pain expected as a result of the prolonged government shutdown, which is entering its second month. The SNAP program will run out of federal money Saturday if Congress doesn’t act, and the Agriculture Department has told states to delay transmitting this month’s benefit files “until further notice.”

Two federal judges ruled Friday that the Trump administration’s decision to suspend food-aid benefits is likely unlawful, with one ordering that contingency funds be distributed immediately and the other giving officials until Nov. 3 to report whether they would authorize at least partially funding the program.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-01/billionaires-step-in-to-help-plug-food-aid-gaps-during-shutdown?srnd=homepage-americas

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No paywall (gift)

[SamuelTheThird]

1. What a joke

Billionaires giving a measly million. They ought to be outlawed

[popsdenver]

5. It takes 1,000 MILLION

to make a BILLION, doesn't it???????

So, a million isn't even donating their pocket or dashboard change....

[Klarkashton]

2. How much is the musk foundation providing?

[rickford66]

3. I wonder if there's a word for regular required payments by them for the public good.

[Hugin]

14. I think I remember something about that...

A word that begins with a “t”?

[rickford66]

18. BINGO

Sadly, a dirty word for some.

[Javaman]

4. And just what are they getting in return? Nt

[Marthe48]

7. Not the ballroom

n/t

[fujiyamasan]

9. Tax write off?

This whole thing is a sick and cruel joke

[Marthe48]

6. It's better than nothing

A million can buy more staples than money from strapped families trying to share their resources.

[travelingthrulife]

15. It's a slap in the face. They are the ones who have taken all our money away.

[Marthe48]

17. Being appreciative is gracious

People might respond positively if their action is appreciated. And like I said, a million dollars is going to buy more food than say, my $20.

[valleyrogue]

8. Tax these assholes,

and people wouldn't have to worry about whether they are going to live or die.

[SunSeeker]

10. Drop in the bucket indeed. Billionaires put Shitler in office and caused this mess!

And we wouldn't need charity if billionaires paid their fair share of taxes. Just pay your god damn taxes, billionaires!

[Deminpenn]

11. Been reading Sorkin's new book on the

1929 stock market crash and its after effects.

What struck me was his observation that while the big market players would recover, the everyday Americans who lost everything now had little to no money to spend on themselves or anything else. In other words, the market crash pulled money out of their pockets and that lost spending power is what led to the Depression. Something similar might be at work now. Money in the form of lost wages and benefits and higher costs due to Trump tariffs is pulling the money that drives the economy away from the people who spend it. Walmart recently said that they expect lower sales because of the loss of Nov SNAP benefits. It's not that far a leap to companies laying off employees, which expands the labor pool competing for jobs, and cutting wages and benefits. All of which can easily lead to a recession perhaps rivaling 2008.

[Hotler]

12. " to suspend food-aid benefits is likely unlawful,". Well wft, which is it, lawful or unlawful,

make a decision, stop being wishy-washy.

[travelingthrulife]

16. This. Our legal and Congressional systems are ridiculous.

All the rules are based on the good old boys 'wink and a handshake' club. No teeth to any of these laws or rules.

[berniesandersmittens]

13. Almost 800 billionaires live in the U.S.

And it's news when a few give their couch cushion change to feed the poor?

Greedy bastards.

I'm sorry, I depend on a small amount of SNAP each month. The shutdown is on top of my benefits being stolen, along with more than 1000 others in my state, over the summer. Feds wouldn't reimburse that amount, now families are facing going hungry again.

Add in the shaming of poor folks by banning SNAP for sodas and snacks, because "our health".

They don't give a fuck about our health. They don't care if we starve.

[rickford66]

19. I'm sure Trump will charge for shipping and handling.

[JohnnyRingo]

20. I don't see any Elons or Musks on the list.

He could easily pay the $10b out of the stash in his underwear drawer and not have to give up a thing.