WASHINGTON — This weekend, the pain of the shutdown will intensify in Alabama and across the country, as food aid benefits will lapse for the first time since the federal program began more than 60 years ago.
Senators left Washington Thursday with some bipartisan talks underway about funding the government, but no concrete deal to end the shutdown. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., has been involved in some of those chats, having conversations with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, this week as the lawmakers work to find a way out, POLITICO reported.
In Alabama, roughly 752,000 residents, 331,000 of whom are children, will not receive their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits starting Saturday when funding for the food assistance will lapse because of the shut down.
More than $140 million in SNAP benefits are distributed in the state each month, according to the Alabama Department of Human Resources.
Republicans and Democrats have both expressed outrage over people going hungry because of the shutdown, but neither side has found a legislative way to address the SNAP suspension before November.
“When the SNAP cards (expire)…there’s going to be huge problems, but this is all in (the Democrats’) court,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., told reporters, referring to the Republican-led measure to fund the government. “All they got to do is vote for it, but they refuse to do it because it’s politics.”
On social media, Britt responded to one of her Democratic colleagues, blaming them for letting the food aid be suspended by not voting for the stopgap funding bill.
“You and your colleagues have voted to keep the government shutdown—allowing SNAP benefits to lapse—13 times in a row,” she said.
Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, called on the Trump administration to use funds from a contingency reserve, which White House officials argue is not legal, to help pay for the program.
“Earlier this year, they made the largest cut to SNAP in history,” he said in a statement. “Now, they are refusing to use contingency funds that could keep food on the table for 42 million Americans during THANKSGIVING.”
While the federal government remains in gridlock, localities in Alabama are stepping in to try and fill the void. On Thursday, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin asked the city council to commit $1 million of city funds to “make sure no family in our city goes hungry while the federal government is in a shutdown.” Woodfin said about 23,000 households in the city receive SNAP benefits.
“People are scared and they’re unsure about what comes next,” Birmingham City Council President Wardine Alexander said. “For SNAP households with children, 55% had earned income. These are not people who are gunning and gaming the system. We’re talking about hard-working families.”
The city of Birmingham and community partners will also launch a community food drive next week to help combat the crisis.
Food banks in the state are also trying to bulk up their supply to help feed more people in November.
The state of Alabama will not step in to help fund the program during the shutdown.
“As Alabama DHR noted, SNAP benefits are 100% federally funded, and therefore, U.S. Food and Nutrition Services controls the issuance of these benefits on EBT cards,” Gov. Kay Ivey spokeswoman Gina Maiola said in a statement. “While the state does not have extra money to do Congress’ job, Governor Ivey hopes to see U.S. Senate Democrats get on board and reopen the federal government.”
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall joined other Republican-led states in a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, urging Congress to pass the short-term spending measure.
“No family should go hungry because of political games in Washington,” Marshall said in a statement.
SNAP recipients will be able to use any money they have leftover on their cards in November, but no new money will be added until the situation is resolved.
Senators will return to Washington Monday, on the 34th day of the shutdown. If the funding lapse runs until Tuesday, it will tie for the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
This story is from www.aldailynews.com.
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