Governor Jeff Landry is warning SNAP recipients that they will not receive cash assistance from the government on their cards starting November 1st if the federal government shutdown continues. Jan Moller, the executive director of Invest Louisiana, says this action could be avoided.
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers these benefits, they have contingency funds. In past shutdowns, they’ve used these contingency funds to make sure that benefits still get paid,” Moller explained.
It’s unknown if the USDA plans to utilize contingency funds to ensure November SNAP benefits. Governor Jeff Landry blames Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the rest of the Senate Democrats who are not voting for a funding bill to re-open the federal government.
Moeller says more than 800,000 households in Louisiana rely on SNAP benefits.
“I can’t think of anything more critical than making sure people who are elderly and disabled, who need help putting food on the table, have these benefits at the start of the month,” Moeller said.
Moeller says instead of having a special session to change the dates of next year’s federal party primary elections, legislators should hold meetings on how they could use state dollars to pay for November SNAP benefits.
“The legislature should be coming in and talking about ways that the states could make sure these benefits get paid out,” Moeller said.
There’s no guarantee the federal government will reimburse Louisiana or any other state if they use state resources to bridge the gap until the federal government reopens.
