 "Republican Senators nix Democrats' bid to fund Snap benefits amid govt shutdown")
Republican Senators have blocked a Democratic attempt to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits after they dried up over the weekend amid a government shutdown, the longest in US history.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) has sought unanimous consent to pass a resolution that would provide funding for the SNAP during the ongoing government shutdown. The measure would have required the Department of Agriculture to allocate $8 billion to cover SNAP benefits for November.
That effort, however, hit a roadblock after Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) objected to it, saying that a simpler way of ensuring SNAP benefits are not taken away from the 42 million recipients is by reopening the government.
“This isn’t lawmaking. It’s a political stunt by the Democrats. The resolution they’re offering is empty. It is meaningless. Democrats knew their actions threatened food assistance. They were fully aware of it. If Democrats really wanted to help struggling families, they’d stop blocking a clean continuing resolution," Barrasso said.
US govt agrees to partially fund SNAP
The US Department of Agriculture told a federal court it will use a contingency fund to let states issue partial benefits under the SNAP for November during the government shutdown after a pair of judges’ rulings required it to keep the food aid program running.
The government had planned to freeze payments to SNAP starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it due to the shutdown. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs about $8 billion per month nationally.
It’s not clear how much beneficiaries will receive, nor how quickly beneficiaries will see value show up on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. The process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks in some states. The average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person.
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