AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Congress missed a key deadline Monday — and it could leave millions of Texans wondering about where their next meal is coming from.
The second-longest federal government shutdown in history entered its 27th day Monday, and has shown no signs of ending. Without a resolution, it would become the longest shutdown in history on Nov. 5.
Earlier this month, the United State’s Department of Agriculture (USDA) set Oct. 27 as the deadline for the shutdown to end, or SNAP benefits will not be provided nationwide. Texas has an estimated 3.5 million people, including 1.7 million children, on SNAP, and nationwide, the program’s expiration is set to affect over 40,000,000 people.
Food banks all around Texas are bracing for an influx of Texans who would usually receive SNAP benefits.
“The good news is we have 20 food banks in our network and collectively the reach every county in the state,” Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole said.
Up to this point, Cole says Feeding Texas has been focused on helping Texas’s large population of federal workers and military personnel who haven’t been paid during the shutdown.
“We’re particularly worried about the potential delay in SNAP benefits that will happen on November 1 if the shutdown continues past today,” she said.
While the food pantry network will help where it can, the model is likely unsustainable in a long-term SNAP shutdown.
“For every meal that food banks across the state provide, SNAP provides nine meals,” Beth Corbett with the Central Texas Food Bank, said. Central Texas Food Bank is a branch of Feeding Texas serving 21 counties, including Travis, Hays and Williamson counties. “[That’s] a pretty big delta when you’re looking at the loss of those meals for so many families.”
To help weather the impact of the shutdown, Central Texas Food Bank has added new drives geared towards people who rely on SNAP. On all Feeding Texas websites, recipients can click on ‘Find Food Now,’ to find their closest food bank.
“We’re obviously doing everything we can — increasing the amount of food that we’re sourcing, that we’re purchasing and also that we’re distributing to try to meet the need,” Corbett said. “But it’s really not sustainable for the food bank our partners to fill the gap… the time is now for the government to reopen.”
No end in sight
The U.S. Senate has been gridlocked for over a month on funding the government — with Democrats asking Republicans to extend the Affordable Care Act marketplace subsidies and Republicans asking them to sign onto a continuing resolution to keep the government temporarily funded at current levels.
At the federal level, the USDA and Senate Republicans are pointing fingers at the Democratic party.
“Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),” the USDA website says at the top. “Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 1. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance.”
In an email response to a Nexstar request, the USDA continued to slam Democrats, continuing a new trend of federal agencies taking political stances which some argue is an illegal violation of the Hatch Act.
“If not for Congressional Democrats blocking government funding, November SNAP benefits would be paid on-time,” a two-page sheet sent to Nexstar said.
Prior to sending the sheet, USDA’s press office had an automatic response reading: “Thank you for contacting our press office. Due to staff furloughs resulting from the Radical Left Democrat shutdown, the typical monitoring of this press inbox may be impacted. We ask for your patience as remaining staff works diligently to field your requests. As you await a response, please remember these delays could have been avoided had Senate Democrats supported the clean Continuing Resolution to fund the government. Thank you for your patience and attention to this matter.”
Texas’s U.S. Senators also weighed in.
“Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times against funding the government, which includes funding for SNAP,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a statement. “Food banks in Texas and across the country are doing everything they can to help those who rely on SNAP to feed themselves and their families.”
“Texans who rely upon SNAP as a safety net to buy their groceries and feed their children will not have those benefits until this deranged shutdown comes to an end,” U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said last Monday.
Those in the food insecurity system are just asking for politicians to put aside their differences and at least fund SNAP — if not the entire government.
“While it’s reasonable for politics to have their difference, it’s not acceptable for people to go hungry,” Cole said. “We are hopeful that short of a conclusion to the shutdown, that Congress will find a way to fund SNAP benefits so we can help our communities recover.”
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