With Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits set to stop Nov. 1, 19 state attorneys general, led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, have sent an “urgent” letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Schumer has been roundly blamed for what has been dubbed the “Schumer Shutdown,” thanks to his refusal to back a House-passed continuing resolution, and Democrats are coming under increasing pressure to bring the shutdown to a close. The shutdown is about to enter its first full month.
What’s in the Letter?
The one-page letter begins with the attorneys general requesting “urgent humanitarian assistance for the Americans [they] represent,” especially as “millions of Americans” will lose access to SNAP benefits on Saturday. In Ohio, that’s about 1.4 million Americans.
Highlighting how the shutdown is the result of squabbles in Washington, the letter continues by noting that the loss of benefits “means working parents, senior citizens and people with disabilities will be left wondering how to put food on the table while Washington argues.”
Thus, the request for a clean continuing resolution. “Congress can stop the threat right now by passing a clean continuing resolution that keeps essential services funded and protects those who rely on them. You have the power to prevent a crisis that is entirely avoidable,” the letter continues.
The letter also uses Schumer’s own remarks and Congress’ past actions against the Democrat leader.
“As you have said yourself, keeping the government open requires cooperation, not partisanship. That
principle should apply now more than ever. A clean resolution is not a political concession; it is the
responsible thing to do. Congress has passed such measures 13 times—including once last year—under
unified Democratic control. Refusing to do so now is not leadership; it’s leverage at the expense of the
most vulnerable,” the letter continued.
The conclusion repeated the need to pass a clean continuing resolution, noting that it “would prevent avoidable harm and show that Washington can still come together to help those who need it most.”
The letter is overall heavy on the urging. “Letting those benefits lapse while political negotiations drag on would send the wrong message to every working parent and senior who plays by the rules,” the state attorneys general write about SNAP.
The attorneys general “implore [Schumer] to leave the politicking for another day” and “to act quickly and do what you know is right.”
Yost was joined by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, Georgia Attorney General Christopher M. Carr, Kansas Attorney General Kris W. Kobach, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, Missouri Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, South Dakota Attorney General Marty J. Jackley, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares, and West Virginia Attorney General John B. McCuskey.
It’s More Than Just This Letter
Yost further stressed a need to end the shutdown in a statement for The Daily Signal. “No family should go hungry because Washington lacks the appetite for consensus. 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,” he said.
Another Ohioan, Republican Sen. Jon Husted, also similarly used Schumer’s own words against him during a tele town hall event earlier this week with Americans for Prosperity’s Ohio chapter. He, too, addressed concerns about the loss of SNAP benefits for those 1.4 million Ohioans.
The phrasing about “leverage” is one that Democrats in Congress have themselves used, including Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island similarly referred to his party having a “lever” in the shutdown.
How’s This Going for Democrats, and SNAP?
Democrats have harped on blaming Republicans for the threat to government assistance programs such as SNAP. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., got into it over X about such blame.
The Democrat shutdown strategy may not be working out too well for them, however, especially as they look to be wavering in their unity. The battle over SNAP may be what causes an end to the shutdown, and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., who has bucked his party by voting to fund the government, has warned about the effect of a loss of SNAP benefits.
As for SNAP, The Daily Signal’s Tyler O’Neil has offered a proposal for private charities and nonprofits to step up to not only fill the gap during the shutdown, but to use the opportunity to develop a nongovernment system to help move SNAP recipients from dependency to self-reliance. O’Neil also reported on how Republicans have offered up a bill to fund SNAP during the shutdown.
