Governor Janet Mills (D) joined the chief executives of 20 other states Thursday in calling on President Trump to release U.S. Department of Agriculture contingency funds to sustain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which are expected to end Saturday for 170,000 Maine residents if the federal shutdown continues.
In a joint letter to the president, the governors urged immediate action to release the funding Congress has already appropriated, warning that halting SNAP payments would harm millions of families nationwide. On October 10, the USDA informed states that November benefits would not be distributed, and two weeks later, the agency claimed it could not legally use contingency funds to cover regular payments.
“SNAP is more than a food assistance program, it is a lifeline,” the governors wrote. “The USDA’s decision to delay SNAP assistance is unacceptable, and we urge your administration to provide the necessary funding to deliver full benefits to vulnerable Americans in need, especially with Thanksgiving just a few weeks away.”
Mills also announced Wednesday that Maine will deliver $1.25 million in emergency funding to Good Shepherd Food Bank, Maine’s Area Agencies on Aging, and other anti-hunger programs. The effort combines $1 million from the governor’s contingency account with $250,000 from the John T. Gorman Foundation.
[RELATED: Mills Taps $1.25 Million to Bolster Food Aid as Federal Shutdown Halts SNAP Benefits]
Earlier in the week, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey joined a multistate lawsuit to compel the USDA to release contingency funds. The state receives about $29 million a month in federal SNAP support, with the average family of four receiving $572 in benefits.
Nearly 12.5 percent of Maine’s population depends on SNAP, with several rural counties — including Androscoggin, Aroostook, Washington, Piscataquis, and Somerset — nearing or exceeding 20 percent participation. About three-quarters of Maine SNAP households include at least one working adult, more than half include someone with a disability, 43 percent include a senior, and one-third include children.
The governors warned that the funding delay could have far-reaching effects on 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, and 4 million people with disabilities. The program also supports nearly 388,000 jobs nationwide and contributes more than $20 billion in wages and $4.5 billion in state and federal tax revenue.
The government shut down is now 30 days old. Democrats have voted 13 times against House approved legislation, actively choosing to prolong the government shutdown. As a result, there is currently no federal funding to keep essential government agencies that millions of Americans depend on operating.
