Democrats in the Utah Senate are urging the governor and Republican leaders in the Legislature to convene a special session to spend some of the state’s rainy day fund to cover nutrition assistant payments while the federal government is shut down.
The shutdown, which is now the longest on record, initially threatened to halt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments altogether, but the Trump administration said Monday it will partially fund the program, commonly called food stamps, after two judges ruled it must use contingency funds to keep it running.
The Senate Democratic Caucus urged Gov. Spencer Cox and legislative leaders to step in to cover the difference for the month of November in a letter on Tuesday.
“With confirmation that the federal government will only partially fund SNAP benefits for November, the timing is imperative for the state to cover the remaining amount for the month and ensure families receive uninterrupted support,” the letter states.
Senators said covering direct payments SNAP recipients receive is the “easiest, most secure and cost-effective way” for the state to provide assistance for needy families.
“Food is not a privilege, it’s a basic human right,” said Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City. “Every family deserves the security of knowing they can feed their children. Utah has the means to step in and ensure no one goes hungry while we wait for federal action.”
The caucus praised the decision by state leaders to use some rainy day funds to donate up to $4 million to the Utah Food Bank if the shutdown persists. But in a joint statement Wednesday, Cox, House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, and Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, reiterated that Congress bears the responsibility for restarting the government.
“Congress created this crisis, and Congress has the solution and responsibility to resolve it by prioritizing the American people over politics,” the trio said.
Utah is “not structured to bail out Washington” or cover payments on federal programs, the statement continues. The leaders said the state’s rainy day funds are meant to provide relief to Utahns during natural disasters or economic crises, and that using the funds to cover SNAP payments would put the state at risk going forward.
“Congress is playing politics with people’s livelihoods, putting working families, veterans and essential personnel at risk while leaving critical services unfunded,” they added. “Utah is taking action by committing up to $4 million to local food banks to ensure Utahns continue to have access to essential food support.”
Some 86,000 Utah families rely on SNAP benefits at a cost of around $31 million per month — a “huge number that is really hard for the state to be able to do,” Schultz told KSL.com last week. He and other leaders have urged businesses and community members to step up by donating to food pantries to help people who risk going hungry with reduced benefits.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued guidance for the reduced allotments of SNAP payments for November, with a household of four set to receive $497.