Congressman Doggett responds to Trump’s decision to allow SNAP food assistance to expire.
Contact: Alexis Torres
Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) released the following statement after the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) announced Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Plan (SNAP) food assistance will not be issued as the Republican government shutdown continues past Monday, October 27:
“With his complete federal control, Trump is now about to add a hunger crisis to the health care crisis he has created. Only he can stop these crises. Beginning on Monday and by the end of November, 3.7 million Texans, who rely on SNAP to put food on the table, will lose assistance. He could act immediately to prevent hunger by simply using his contingency funding and transfer authority—moving as quickly as he did to give Argentina a $40 billion bailout. To end this shutdown, he should immediately direct his Republican enablers to negotiate a bipartisan agreement with Democrats to stop enormous price spikes on health insurance premiums.
“The Central Texas Food Bank has been stepping up to serve thousands of federal workers, who have gone without a paycheck all month, because of the Trump shutdown. With broad community support and distribution through churches, food pantries, and other community service groups, the Food Bank does a great job of meeting the needs of our disadvantaged neighbors. Yet for every one meal that a food bank provides, SNAP provides nine. Without action by Trump now, these valued community efforts will quickly be overwhelmed, leaving too many Texans to go hungry.”
Watch his remarks here.
Earlier today, 214 House Democrats urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to use available contingency funds and transfer authority to keep SNAP funded through November. Their letter can be found here.
During the federal government shutdown, all state agencies, including the Texas HHSC, remain open and operational. Eligible consumers should continue to apply for SNAP benefits, complete renewal applications, maintain scheduled appointments, and respond to any other notices or inquiries they may receive. SNAP assistance will be retroactively provided to the date of application for all approved recipients when the program is funded again.