Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, along with attorneys general from 18 other states, has called on U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to act quickly to ensure continued funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The group expressed concern that a lapse in SNAP benefits could affect 42 million Americans who depend on the program.
“No family should go hungry because Washington lacks the appetite for consensus,” Yost said. “It is imperative that Congress takes immediate action to ensure the continuation of SNAP funding. The wellbeing of countless Americans hinges on their actions, and the time to prevent further suffering is now.”
Yost wrote a letter to Schumer warning that ongoing political disputes in Washington are putting working families, seniors, and people with disabilities at risk. The attorneys general urged Schumer to support a clean continuing resolution that would keep government operations running and maintain SNAP funding.
Congress has been unable to resolve disagreements over spending bills since Oct. 1, resulting in a government shutdown. This situation threatens essential services such as SNAP if not addressed soon.
The letter references a notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture stating that SNAP benefits will not be distributed on Nov. 1 if the shutdown continues. The attorneys general appealed directly to Schumer: “to do what you know is right” by providing temporary funding for the program.
They warned that allowing benefits to lapse while negotiations continue would negatively impact working parents and seniors who rely on these resources.
Attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia joined Yost in signing the letter.
