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Shutdown Threatens SNAP Food Aid 10/30 06:10
(AP) -- With federal SNAP food assistance set to run dry this weekend amid
the protracted U.S. government shutdown, Louisiana, New Mexico and Vermont
became the latest states Wednesday to announce help for low-income households
that rely on the funds to eat.
They join states from New York to Nevada in scrambling to find ways to get
food to people who are increasingly anxious and will otherwise go hungry
without their normal monthly payments from the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, or SNAP.
Several states take action Wednesday
In Louisiana, where nearly one in five residents receive SNAP benefits,
lawmakers authorized $150 million in state funding Wednesday to help avoid
Saturday's expected interruption. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry backed a
bipartisan measure to allow most of the state's nearly 800,000 SNAP recipients
to receive their full monthly benefit amount.
"Our priorities are specific, we're going to protect the most vulnerable
population in Louisiana -- which is our kids, disabled and elderly," Landry
said.
But officials said that while program details are still incomplete, the
effort will likely exclude "able bodied" adults who aren't caring for children
or don't share a household with elderly or disabled members -- about 53,000
recipients.
Elsewhere, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Wednesday that
her state will provide $30 million in emergency food assistance to residents
through EBT cards, backfilling SNAP benefits temporarily. The Democrat leads a
state where 21% of the population relies on SNAP -- the highest rate in the
nation. Officials said the benefit would cover about 30% of what residents
usually see at the start of the month.
New Mexico held a two-day special legislative session at the outset of the
shutdown to shore up food banks and pantries with $8 million in new funding,
along with $17.5 million in SNAP-related costs to offset cuts under President
Donald Trump's spending and tax cut bill.
The emergency funding is expected to last about 10 days, while Democratic
state House Speaker Javier Martnez said the Legislature is positioned to
approve more if necessary because "children going without basic food staples is
an emergency."
Lujan Grisham said state officials are aware that 10 days isn't enough but
they are prepared to deal with the issue for as long as they can.
"We're not going to let food insecurity creep into this state," she said.
In Vermont, Republican Gov. Phil Scott and Democratic legislative leaders
approved using $6.3 million in state funds to cover 15 days of SNAP benefits
and provide $250,000 to food banks. The Legislature had previously put $50
million aside for such emergencies.
Different strokes for different states
So far, state responses have been mixed. Some, like Rhode Island, say they
will funnel reserve federal welfare funds directly onto the debit cards issued
to people who buy groceries with SNAP. States including Colorado, Connecticut,
Minnesota, West Virginia plan to boost funds to food pantries to help cover for
low-income families needing food. Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and
Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo are both seeking to direct $30 million in
state funds to cover food assistance.
Other states such as Alabama, Texas, Kansas and Florida have not acted.
In Nebraska, the state Department of Health and Human Services issued a
statement Tuesday announcing it would pause SNAP benefits the next day. It said
it is "actively coordinating with food banks, nonprofit partners, and community
organizations," and listed area food banks for those seeking help.
Leaving people to fend for themselves will mean the most vulnerable -- like
children and the elderly -- will go hungry, said Tashara Leak, a registered
dietitian and nutritional researcher and professor at Cornell University. She
also serves on New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy that routinely
meets with New York's governor.
"The panic is already starting," Leak said, adding families with limited
resources are "already rationing food in preparation to not receive benefits on
Nov. 1."
States can't do what the federal government can
Despite the best efforts of states, local governments and food charities, it
won't be enough to cover what the federal government does under SNAP. Even
states with fat budget surpluses couldn't cover the SNAP tab much beyond
November. That tab nationwide totaled about $100 billion in 2024.
"There's no way for the states to be able to fill in the gap for the month
of November, especially with such short notice," Leak said.
Democrats have called on the Trump administration to release contingency
funding to ensure uninterrupted SNAP payments, but it has declined to do so.
Recently, a group of Democratic state officials filed suit, asking a judge
to require the Trump administration to keep funding SNAP benefits. They say
that the government is required to use one contingency fund, which has around
$5 billion, for that purpose and that another larger reserve fund of about $23
billion is also available. A hearing is set for Thursday in federal court in
Boston.
Delays in benefits are nearly certain for most beneficiaries whose debit
cards are replenished early in the month -- even in states that are planning to
pay for benefits or if a judge orders the federal government to load the cards
immediately.
The legal filing asserted that in California, for instance, there will be a
one-day delay in benefits available for every day after Oct. 23 that the
process of putting money on cards hasn't begun. That means that if a judge
orders the program to continue on Thursday, the first cards would likely not be
ready until around Nov. 10.
Christopher Bosso, a Northeastern University professor of public policy and
political science who has published a book about SNAP, said even a delay would
be deeply felt. Beneficiaries often stock up on groceries at the start of the
month, and stores often hold sales then that encourage shoppers to do so.
"We're about to find out how much this program matters, in ways that people
hadn't realized," Bosso said.
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