Texas Senator John Cornyn is backing new legislation aimed to keep food assistance flowing during the ongoing federal government shutdown. The Keep SNAP Funded Act, introduced by Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, would guarantee funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), covering payments retroactively to October 1 for about 3.5 million Texans.
“Senate 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 during this senseless shutdown.”
SNAP payments are at risk as the U.S. Department of Agriculture warns its contingency funds will be depleted by the end of October. Texas health officials have also notified recipients that November benefits will not be distributed without congressional action.
While Cornyn blames Senate Democrats for blocking a spending measure to reopen the government, analysts point out that Republican divisions have also delayed separate efforts to sustain SNAP funding during the shutdown. Some GOP lawmakers have resisted carving out exceptions that might weaken their negotiating position in broader budget talks.
Nationwide, about 42 million Americans rely on SNAP benefits to buy food, according to the Associated Press. If the funding lapse continues, it could trigger the first major interruption to benefits in decades.
The Keep SNAP Funded Act would directly authorize new spending to maintain the program, though its prospects remain uncertain amid the ongoing budget impasse in Washington.
