As the government shutdown continues, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are considering standalone bills to address funding cuts for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The Senate on Tuesday failed for the 13th time to pass the House-approved continuing resolution to fund the government. The next vote is scheduled for Thursday.
However, there seems to be no end in sight for the shutdown as Democrats and Republicans remain deadlocked over heath care funding. Democrats reject the House-approved continuing resolution to fund the government through November 21. They will only agree to reopen the government if Republicans vote to permanently extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year. Republicans say they’ll consider extending the tax credits only after Democrats vote on their spending measure to reopen the government.
The pressure is on as open enrollment for ACA health plan coverage begins Monday. Millions of Americans who purchase health insurance on the ACA marketplace will see premiums for health plans are up an average 30 percent, according to The Washington Post. Without the enhanced tax credits, consumers who no longer qualify for the subsidies may find it unaffordable to purchase insurance and will likely drop coverage. And as healthy people leave the marketplace, insurers are left with a sicker risk pool and in response may raise premiums to cover the cost of their care.
SNAP funding in jeopardy
Meanwhile, federal funding for SNAP benefits is due to expire on November 1, leaving 40 million Americans at risk of losing access to money to pay for food. SNAP is the country’s largest anti-hunger program, and most beneficiaries are seniors, families with children, and people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a contingency fund but House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the emergency money is not legally available to cover benefits during a shutdown, The Hill reports.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has introduced a bill that calls on the USDA and the Treasury Department to fully fund November benefits and Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) is preparing a bill to fund both SNAP and a separate food aid program for low-income women and children, according to Politico.
Meanwhile, attorneys general in 22 states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to force the USDA to release food assistance funds. In an announcement about the lawsuit, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said the lapse in benefits will lead to “dire consequences” for millions of people who rely on the program to feed themselves and their families. She said it will also put an unnecessary strain on state and local governments and community organizations as families rely on emergency services and local food pantries that are already struggling to fill a nutrition gap.
Judge bars administration from firing federal workers
In another development, a federal judge on Tuesday stopped the Trump administration’s mass layoffs of furloughed workers. NPR reports that U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said she believes unions representing the 4,000 workers are likely to prove that the reductions in workforce were unlawful.
Meanwhile, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers, has called on lawmakers to end the shutdown immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows for continued debate on larger issues.
“It’s long past time for our leaders to put aside partisan politics and embrace responsible government,” wrote AFGE National President Everett Kelley. “A strong America requires a functioning government—one that pays its bills, honors its commitments, and treats its workforce with respect by paying them on time.”