Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn announced this week that he’s co-sponsoring the Keep SNAP Funded Act, led by Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri. The proposal would appropriate the money needed to continue SNAP payments for about 3.5 million Texans, retroactive to the start of the shutdown on October 1.
“Democrats have voted against funding SNAP and reopening the government more than a dozen times already, forcing vulnerable Texans to go hungry as the holidays are fast approaching,” Cornyn said in a statement. “This legislation would ensure our most vulnerable mothers, children, and families across the Lone Star State have the assistance they desperately need.”
While Cornyn singles out Democrats for obstructing a ‘clean’ continuing resolution, analysts note that Republicans have likewise stalled legislation and declined to tap emergency funds to keep SNAP running. For example, some Senate Republicans are reluctant to pass a carve-out for SNAP because it could reduce leverage to end the shutdown.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has told recipients that November benefits will not be issued unless Congress approves new funding. The U.S. Department of Agriculture — which oversees SNAP — says its limited contingency funds will be exhausted by the end of October.
Nationally, about 42 million Americans rely on SNAP to buy groceries, according to the Associated Press. If the shutdown continues, those benefits could be interrupted for the first time in decades.
While Cornyn blames Senate Democrats for refusing to pass a “clean” continuing resolution to reopen the government, the current administration has declined to use USDA’s emergency reserve to keep food benefits flowing, arguing that money is set aside for natural disasters, not for a lapse in appropriations.
That stance has prompted several Democratic-led states to sue the administration, arguing the federal government is legally required to issue benefits even during a shutdown.
The bill Cornyn supports would override that restriction and authorize the necessary spending directly. Its chances of passage remain unclear as the broader budget impasse in Washington continues.
