The calls to the Republican governor came as the food stamp program was set to run out of funding amid the government shutdown.

Newer figures from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) show only slight shifts. As of September 2025, Harris County still has by far the largest number of SNAP-eligible individuals, while Fort Bend, Galveston, and Brazoria have seen the steepest growth. Montgomery County is the only major Houston-area county showing a decline.

The ongoing shutdown means more than $600M per month won’t go to millions of Texas SNAP beneficiaries who pump that money into the state economy.

Biundo’s Pizzeria, a family-owned restaurant in Venus about 35 miles south of Fort Worth, announced it will give away one free 10-inch cheese pizza to families affected by the SNAP payment pause. The offer will run on Tuesdays only, beginning Nov. 4, and is limited to one pizza per family each week.

A federal judge in Boston has indicated that she may intervene and require the federal government to fund the SNAP food assistance program in some way.

Cha Community in Waco and Temple is offering a free meal to SNAP cardholders on Nov. 1 as recipients are set to lose benefits due to the government shutdown.

The ongoing government shutdown has halted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, creating uncertainty for local businesses in Kleberg County that accept the program as payment.