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 and 10 other Republican senators penned the bill, which you can read by scrolling down, called the "Keep SNAP Funded Act.
In other developments Tuesday, more than two dozen states sued the Trump administration on Tuesday seeking to preserve food assistance benefits after officials announced last week they would not use emergency funds to cover the food stamp program during the government shutdown.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance benefits to nearly 42 million people — or one in eight Americans — will run out at the end of the month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said. While some states have announced plans to step in to try to cover gaps, millions of Americans are still expected to be impacted by the pause in benefits.
Cassidy said 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.
Here's the bill:
To read about what's happening in Louisiana on this issue, click here.
