Cassidy Backs Bill to Fund SNAP Program during Schumer Shutdown

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), co-sponsored a bill to reinstate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the government shutdown. Cassidy joins U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), James Lankford (R-OK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Jon Husted (R-OH) in pushing a U.S. Senate vote on the Keep SNAP Funded Act.

"Chuck Schumer is taking food out of children's mouths by forcing this shutdown to continue. It's wrong," saidDr. Cassidy. "We're stepping up to make sure families can still put food on the table."

The Keep SNAP Funded Act would ensure full funding for the SNAP program during the government shutdown. Under the bill, Congress would appropriate the necessary funding to provide uninterrupted SNAP benefits, retroactive to the start of the shutdown. This legislation also provides a path for states to get reimbursed by the federal government for any funds used to keep the program going during the government shutdown.

Background

On Friday, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed an emergency declaration to help fund SNAP, for the nearly 800,000 Louisianans who rely on the program, if the ongoing government shutdown continues into November. Cassidy responded to the announcement by saying he was working on legislation to address this issue before the deadline.

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