WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and 44 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in introducing a resolution calling on Senate Republicans to force President Trump to immediately use all congressionally approved funding to keep families from going hungry.
The senators introduced the resolution after the Trump Administration paused benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for nearly 42 million Americans over the weekend due to the ongoing Republican-led government shutdown.
Today, November 4th, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that USDA has sent SNAP guidance to states after they were ordered to provide funding by two federal judges, but claimed that this will be a “cumbersome process” that may delay SNAP benefits for weeks. Shortly after Secretary Rollins’ announcement, President Trump claimed that he would illegally withhold all SNAP benefits until the shutdown ends. However, a few hours later, the White House announced that the Trump Administration is complying with court orders requiring the Administration to use congressionally-appropriated contingency funds to continue providing SNAP benefits. This incoherent back-and-forth has left SNAP recipients in limbo, unsure whether they will receive the benefits they need to feed their families.
USDA has the authority to release $6 billion in congressionally-appropriated SNAP contingency funds, and the Trump Administration is required by law to release these funds. USDA also has interchange authority, allowing it to transfer federal funds from other nutrition programs to support SNAP. However, the Trump Administration decided to withhold this available funding, causing SNAP benefits to lapse on November 1st.
In addition to Senator Hirono, the resolution was cosponsored by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The full text of the resolution is available here.
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