The federal government says supplemental food benefits won’t be issued for November because of the ongoing shutdown, and the chief of West Virginia’s largest food bank is bracing for tough times.
“What went through my mind is, how are we going to fill this gap?” Chad Morrison, chief executive of Mountaineer Food Bank said on MetroNews Midday.
“You know, there’s so many families out there — I mean, 144,000 households in West Virginia — that receive SNAP benefits. And how we’re going to fill this gap to make sure our children, our seniors and our veterans are getting the nutrition they need?”
The food assistance program, known these days as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, has origins in West Virginia. In fulfillment of a campaign promise made in West Virginia, President John F. Kennedy’s first executive order called for expanded food distribution and, on Feb. 2, 1961, he announced the initiation of Food Stamp pilot programs.
Federal officials announced within the past few days that benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will not be available Nov. 1, affecting 42 million Americans.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service website blamed Senate Democrats for their votes against a continuing resolution that would reopen the government in the short term.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01,” the federal agency said of SNAP.
There’s another option that the federal government could take, said Kelly Allen, executive director of the progressive West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy think tank.
The Trump administration has the legal authority to use contingency funds to continue SNAP benefits, she said, but political will seems lacking.
“So I want to be really clear, the government does not have to be open for SNAP benefits to go out in November,” Allen said on MetroNews Talkline.
“Just last month, on Sept. 30, the USDA, which administers SNAP, issued their own shutdown plan that said congressional intent is evident that SNAP operations should continue since the program was provided with multi year contingency funds that can be used to fund participant benefits in the event elapse occurs.
Allen concluded by asking, “Is the Trump administration — and USDA — going to use the funds that they have, contingency emergency funds, to continue to fund snap in November, regardless of what Congress decides to do?”
Some states, like neighboring Virginia, have taken emergency measures to provide food benefits for their citizens during the shutdown.
Last week, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced the state would expedite $1.1 million of already-appropriated emergency funding to food banks.
An announcement from the administration indicated further plans are being reviewed, including options for coordinating with volunteer groups and deploying additional resources where necessary.
“We’re being proactive and making some early moves to make sure our state is prepared,” Morrisey said, “but a simple solution is for Senate Democrats to pass a clean, bipartisan funding extension and reopen the government.”
State Delegate Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, praised Morrisey for expediting the available funds but said the governor could do more.
“There’s a lot of options he could do,” Young said on The Dave Allen Show on WCHS Radio.
“He could use his contingency fund. It’s $47 million that it costs to pay for SNAP in West Virginia for one month. He’s probably got that in his contingency fund. If not, call the Legislature in and let us appropriate some money. There’s options here, but we cannot let West Virginians go hungry.”
Senator Jim Justice, a Republican, addressed the SNAP issue during a briefing last week with West Virginia reporters. Henry Culvyhouse, a reporter with Mountain State Spotlight, asked the senator what specific actions he is taking to assure the benefits continue.
During the Thursday briefing, Justice tried to provide assurances that the Trump administration would not let benefits go dry.
“I do not think that the president, nor anyone here, will let that really happen. All I can tell you, though, is an opinion. You know, I’m one of 100 and really and truly, all I can give you is an opinion,” Justice said.
“It would be terrible for that to happen because you’re right they don’t care — you know, people don’t care, well, if it’s Republicans’ or Democrats’ fault, but they absolutely have to have these dollars, these SNAP benefits. They have to have them. And if they don’t have them, families are going to get really, really, really hurt.”
A little more than a day later, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the next round of benefits would not be available.