WASHINGTON, D.C. — After benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for roughly 42 million Americans were stopped over the weekend due to the ongoing government shutdown, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), alongside, 45 of his colleagues, introduced a resolution calling on the Trump Administration to immediately use all congressionally approved funding to keep families from going hungry. Though the Trump Administration relented to court rulings yesterday and announced plans to partially distribute the contingency funds available to them, Senator King and his colleagues reminded the White House of the billions available to them and that half-measures are not sufficient. In Maine, nearly 170,000 people — over 12 percent of the state — receive SNAP benefits. Several counties across the state are approaching or surpassing 20 percent of their population relying on these critical benefits.

“Americans going hungry during a government shutdown is not inevitable — it’s a choice,” said Senator King. “In all our history, a government shutdown has never meant that Americans can’t put food on their tables because Congress has appropriated contingency funds for this exact purpose. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues to demand that this Administration fully fund SNAP for the month of November by using the billions of dollars at its disposal. Maine families, children and seniors rely on these critical programs and it’s our responsibility to make sure they receive the help they deserve.”

SNAP benefits lapsed on November 1 because the Administration initially refused to use a SNAP contingency fund of $6 billion previously appropriated by Congress. After two federal judges ruled that SNAP must continue to be funded, the Administration agreed to use the $4.65 billion left in the contingency fund to finance the program. However, the contingency fund will only cover half of SNAP benefits for the month of November, and the Administration is refusing to use additional available funds using an agreement established to spend Section 32 revenue — which dedicates a portion of tariffs to support the farm sector and nutrition programs — to fully fund SNAP in the month of November.

Last week, Senator King cosponsored legislation that would prevent the Trump administration from illegally withholding available funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during the government shutdown. He also cosponsored legislation from Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) that would disburse SNAP benefits after its expiration, but not WIC resources. Last month, Senator King joined 45 of his colleagues in writing a letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins calling on the USDA to release billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue in November.

Read the full resolution here.

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