U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley says while details are still limited, families that receive federal funding through the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be getting some of their benefits issued. Earlier in October, USDA administration announced that due to the government shutdown, federal funding was not available to continue paying the one in eight American families enrolled in SNAP and benefits for November would not be received. Grassley says two federal court judges ruled that President Donald Trump’s Administration must continue to pay for SNAP by using reserve funding, but that is all the insight that was given.
Grassley says the senate will receive additional information regarding the emergency fund and issuing of SNAP benefits in the next couple of days. Tomorrow (Tuesday) evening would mark the beginning of the 35th day of the shutdown, which Grassley says would soon become the longest in history, passing the 2018-2019 funding lapse during President Trump’s first term.
Some are questioning if the federal judges ruling was a judicial overstep, as the issuing of the benefits using federal dollars and the use of emergency funding is in relation to the budget which is guided mainly by Congress. Grassley says its hard for him to decide one way or the other, but he is glad that this ruling will have a positive outcome.
SNAP is not the only program that is facing uncertainty. Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farm Service Academy (FSA) Offices, small business loans, school meals and educational programs and military service members are also questionable to have federal funding for programs. Grassley says though, that this is the first day that the Senate has received some good news with the potential of opening the government back
Grassley made his comments this (Monday) afternoon during his weekly Capitol Hill Report with Iowa reporters.
