House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD), House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA), and House Agriculture Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Brad Finstad (R-MN) issued a joint statement criticizing Senate Democrats for what they describe as obstruction in efforts to reopen the federal government. The lawmakers claim this has resulted in the lapse of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding, affecting vulnerable Americans who rely on these benefits.
“Democrats are denying full SNAP benefits to vulnerable Americans. For the first time in the history of the program, SNAP funding has lapsed—leaving those who depend on this lifeline at risk of going hungry. This outcome was entirely avoidable. Republicans voted to fully fund nutrition benefits and keep the entire federal government open. Had Senate Democrats joined us, full SNAP benefits would have continued, our troops, air traffic controllers, and federal workers would be paid, and every government service would be operational.
“Instead, they voted fourteen times to let families go without. The Trump Administration has taken great lengths to mitigate harm across the nation. Yet, Democrats are acting as if contingency funds are an acceptable substitute for full benefits. They aren’t. The emergency reserve is not enough to cover a full month of benefits.
“As Chuck Schumer and his caucus deflect blame in every direction, their voting record is undeniable: they chose politics over feeding families. The American people are not leverage. It’s past time for Senate Democrats to reopen the government and end the needless pain they’ve inflicted across the nation.”
According to statements from Republican leadership, their members voted in favor of keeping both SNAP funding and other federal operations uninterrupted during the ongoing shutdown dispute. They argue that Democratic votes against reopening have led directly to this situation.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture warned on October 10th that SNAP could run out of funding in November if the shutdown persisted. Lawmakers also note that emergency reserves cannot sustain even one month’s worth of SNAP benefits.
Republicans say restoring these services requires immediate action by Senate Democrats to vote for reopening the government.
