Maine’s Sen. Susan Collins (R) is among a group of GOP lawmakers co-sponsoring a bill to ensure that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit payments continue without interruption despite the ongoing government shutdown.
This came almost immediately after Sen. Collins sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins urging her to take action to avoid recipients experiencing a delay in receiving their benefits.
“The needless and reckless government shutdown directed by Senator Schumer is putting federal nutrition assistance for these individuals at risk,” Collins wrote last week.
Collins and five other Senate Republicans have now co-sponsored a bill to ensure continuity of SNAP benefits as the government shutdown approaches historic lengths.
According to the text of the brief legislation, this would be done by allowing the Agriculture Department access to any otherwise unappropriated funds to provide uninterrupted SNAP benefits.
The bill would be retroactive to the start off the shutdown so that any payments that have already been missed may be distributed.
Once a budget or continuing resolution is approved, the provisions of this law would be terminated.
Other cosponsors of this bill include Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
[RELATED: SNAP Funding for November Halted Amid Federal Government Shutdown]
“No American should face hunger because of partisan brinkmanship in Washington. SNAP is a lifeline for 170,000 Mainers, including 50,000 children and 73,000 older adults, who rely on this critical nutrition assistance,” said Collins in a statement Friday.
“As Congress works to resolve the needless and reckless government shutdown,” she wrote, “passing this legislation to ensure that SNAP payments continue without interruption is a top priority.”
