With federal SNAP benefits set to stop this weekend due to the ongoing government shutdown, Gov. Greg Abbott faces growing pressure to use emergency state funds to help feed millions of low-income Texans.
More than 3.4 million Texans depend on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which provides an average of $400 per month in food aid. The shutdown, driven by a partisan fight over Affordable Care Act tax credits, will suspend those benefits starting Saturday, affecting over 42 million Americans nationwide.
Democratic lawmakers in Texas have called on Abbott to declare an emergency and redirect state funds to prevent widespread hunger. “This is a human capital natural disaster,” Rep. Armando Walle told the Texas Tribune. Walle joined more than 50 House Democrats in signing a letter urging Abbott to act. Eleven Democratic senators also signed a similar letter.
Abbott’s office declined to say whether he would release emergency funds or join a multi-state lawsuit challenging the federal suspension. Instead, the governor blamed Democrats in Congress for the shutdown. “Senate Democrats should immediately end their government shutdown by approving legislation that already passed the U.S. House that will fully fund the government and ensure Texans don’t go hungry,” his office said in a statement to The Texas Tribune.
Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole warned that the loss of $614 million in monthly federal benefits could strain food banks already under pressure. “We are fully anticipating that we are going to see a surge in need in the next week or so, even if the shutdown is resolved,” Cole said.
Texas has more than $20 billion in surplus funds, but tapping the state’s Economic Stabilization Fund would require lawmakers to reconvene. Fiscal conservatives, such as the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s James Quintero, argue that ongoing food assistance is not an appropriate use of one-time emergency reserves.
Other states, including Louisiana and Virginia, have declared emergencies and extended SNAP using state funds. More than two dozen states have also joined a federal lawsuit seeking to force the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release contingency funds for November. Texas has not joined that effort.
In the meantime, Abbott has pointed Texans to other resources such as 211Texas.org, the state’s WIC program, and community charities. “Texas agencies are coordinating with community partners to connect families to existing assistance until the federal government gets back to work,” Abbott said.
