Dem SNAP funding measure blocked in U.S. Senate

Program cutoff looms as shutdown continues

Zachary Schermele, Bart Jansen, Joey Garrison and Melina Khan

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – A bill to keep funds flowing to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and a nutritional program for low-income women, infants, and children was blocked on the Senate floor on Oct. 29.

SNAP funds will lapse for the first time on Nov. 1 if the government shutdown doesn’t end or lawmakers don’t allocate funds to the program. Money for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, could run out soon, even with a recent emergency cash infusion earlier this month.

Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-New Mexico, asked the Senate to pass through a procedural step known as unanimous consent his bill that would fund SNAP and WIC through the government shutdown, which had reached day 29.

“Pass this bill now,” Luján said on the Senate floor. “Fund SNAP, fund WIC, before this hunger crisis hits our communities.”

Majority Leader John Thune, RSouth Dakota, forcefully objected to it on the Senate floor, calling for lawmakers to instead pass the House-passed temporary funding bill.

“The senator from New Mexico is absolutely right. SNAP recipients shouldn’t go without food. People should be getting paid in this country, and we’ve tried to do that 13 times. And you voted no 13 times,” Thune said.

Wages for House staffers will be delayed, according to an email sent to employees on Oct. 29. Their October paychecks were originally scheduled to be disbursed on Oct. 31.

‘Government held hostage’

Lawmakers have begun proposing more standalone bills that, while not capable of fully reopening the government, would address the crisis’ biggest pain points – from the impending gap in funding for SNAP to widespread concern over military pay.

Rank-and-file lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, seem to increasingly acknowledge that at some point soon, something’s got to give.

“We can work out a lot of the issues we have,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, RSouth Dakota. “We don’t need to have the rest of government held hostage.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Oct. 29 there’s been a “significant uptick in bipartisan conversations” related to ending the shutdown.

“That’s the good news,” she said. Her comments came after Thune also