Congresswoman Maxine Waters, on Friday sharply condemned the federal government’s handling of food-assistance payments as part of the ongoing funding standoff, and directed families in her district to local relief resources while the legal fight over SNAP continues.
Ms. Waters — the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee — issued a statement in early November criticizing the administration’s move to withhold or limit November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the partial government shutdown and urging residents to seek immediate help from community programs. Her office emphasized that people who rely on SNAP should also look to local food banks, school districts, and municipal services for emergency assistance.
The dispute over November SNAP funding has been resolved only temporarily by the courts, leaving many households uncertain. The U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency order earlier this month that briefly paused a lower-court mandate requiring full SNAP disbursements; the administration has continued to press the matter in the appeals courts. At the same time, appeals judges and lower courts have issued competing rulings and injunctions, meaning distribution practices have varied by state and some jurisdictions moved quickly to process full payments while others provided partial benefits or used state funds to fill gaps. These legal developments have affected roughly tens of millions of recipients nationwide.
Waters’ statement pointed constituents to concrete, actionable resources in Los Angeles County and in the cities that fall within California’s 43rd Congressional District — including Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena, Lawndale, Compton and Torrance — where municipal and nonprofit networks are expanding emergency assistance while the federal picture remains unsettled. Her office listed phone and web contacts for food help and programs that serve seniors, families and young children.
Practical options for Angelenos in need right now include dialing 2-1-1 (the county’s social-services directory) or visiting the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank’s online pantry finder to locate nearby partner agencies and pop-up distributions; the food bank’s locator lets users search by ZIP code for up-to-date pantry hours and contact details. City residents can also call 3-1-1 to learn about FamilySource Centers and weekly food distributions for qualifying low-income families.
Families with infants or young children are reminded that WIC — the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — continues to operate separately from SNAP and may provide immediate nutrition support, breastfeeding assistance and referrals. California’s WIC program maintains a toll-free line (1-800-852-5770) and local WIC clinics where eligibility can be confirmed and enrollment expedited.
Congresswoman Waters’ release and multiple community partners underscored a final, practical point: while courts and officials litigate funding questions, many relief systems remain active at the county and city level. Residents in need are advised to contact 2-1-1, the LA Regional Food Bank’s pantry finder, their school district or local FamilySource Center, and WIC if they qualify — and to call municipal aging or social-service lines for senior-specific referrals. Waters’ office also encouraged community members to share information about local distributions, so neighbors know where to find food now.
UPDATE
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has given the Trump administration until 4 p.m. ET on Monday to submit an additional brief to support its request for a stay on a lower court’s ruling that it must pay the November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in full by using funds from other Child Nutrition Programs during the federal government shutdown.
On the seventeenth day of the government shutdown, Maxine Waters introduced the Head Start Shutdown Protection Act of 2025 (H.R. 5790) in the House of Representatives. The proposed legislation seeks to shield the nation’s early-childhood education programs from disruption when federal funding lapses.
funds they expend to maintain Head Start or Early Head Start operations during a shutdown. The mechanism requires entities to front the cost and seek federal reimbursement after funding is restored. 
From a policy-perspective, the bill raises questions about the role of federal contingency mechanisms in essential services. If local entities bear the upfront cost of continuity, states and districts with fewer resources may be disadvantaged—raising equity concerns. And while reimbursement after the fact provides relief, it does not necessarily mitigate the risk of short-term service interruption or cash-flow stress.
