U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, has issued a statement in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) recent decision to withhold food assistance for families in need. The USDA announced it will not use contingency funding to cover the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beginning November 1.
Klobuchar criticized the decision, stating: “The Administration is choosing not to feed Americans in need—choosing to inflict pain on families—despite knowing that it has the authority to do so. That is unacceptable. Hunger isn’t a bargaining chip.”
Previously, Klobuchar joined Senators Cory Booker, Ben Ray Luján, and 43 other senators in urging the USDA to release available funds to ensure SNAP benefits would continue into November.
According to Klobuchar’s statement, an earlier lapse of funding plan from the Administration—which has since been deleted—noted that Congress intended for SNAP operations to proceed during funding lapses because multi-year contingency funds are available for both benefits and state administrative costs.
