Shapiro makes moves to support Pennsylvanians who rely on SNAP

With the hours ticking away on the possible funding of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for the month of November, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced two state-led efforts to support the Commonwealth’s charitable food network and the two million Pennsylvanians who rely SNAP.

The moves came after the Trump Administration refused to fund SNAP benefits in November amid the ongoing federal government shutdown and shortly before two federal judges ruled that the feds must fund the program.

Shapiro signed a declaration of disaster emergency to expedite the delivery of $5 million in state funding to Feeding Pennsylvania to distribute through its network of food banks across the Commonwealth. The declaration will allow state resources to be driven out more quickly, streamline contracting, and provide the Governor with additional tools to address the harm caused by the federal government shutdown.

“Nearly two million Pennsylvanians rely on SNAP every month — and they shouldn’t have to wonder where their next meal will come from because of the dysfunction in Washington,” said Shapiro. “There is no substitute for the federal government’s decision not to release SNAP benefits, but my Administration is stepping up to use every tool we have — state resources, private sector support, and the compassion of our communities — to make sure our food banks are fully stocked and our families are fed. The federal government has the money to keep people fed — they’re just refusing to use it. In Pennsylvania, I won’t let our families or food banks shoulder that burden alone, and I’m not going to stand by while the federal government lets Pennsylvanians go hungry.”

Feeding Pennsylvania is the statewide association of 10 Feeding America member food banks that works to reduce hunger and food insecurity across the Commonwealth. Its primary mission is to promote and aid its member food banks in securing food and other resources, provide a shared voice on hunger issues, and advocate for policies that improve food access for all Pennsylvanians.

The food banks are located in Delmont, Duquesne, Erie, Exton, Harrisburg, Nazareth, Philadelphia, Pittston, Reading, and Sharon.

There are six counties in the Commonwealth that have more than 20% of its total population enrolled in SNAP: Philadelphia (30%), Fayette (23%), Luzerne (21%), Cameron (20%), Erie (20%), and Northumberland (20%).

In addition to state support, the governor also launched a private sector fundraising effort to help food banks meet the expected surge in demand — raising more than $1 million so far for the “SNAP Emergency Relief Fund” thanks to contributions from Pennsylvania leaders, including Thomas Tull, part-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, entrepreneur and former elected official Connie Williams, billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, and 76ers co-owners David and Hallee Adelman.

Federal judges in two states – Rhode Island and Massachusetts – directed the Trump administration to use emergency money to fund November food aid benefits. Officials in the administration have not yet indicated whether they will appeal the ruling.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr., an Obama appointee, affirmed the complaint of several cities and nonprofits that sued USDA over its decision not to use emergency money to support food aid during the government shutdown. The move, plaintiffs argued, “needlessly plunged SNAP into crisis.”

His order went further than that of Massachusetts U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, also an Obama appointee, who issued a near-simultaneous ruling Friday afternoon asking the Trump administration to decide by Monday if it would voluntarily fund at least some SNAP benefits.

“Defendants are required to use those Contingency Funds as necessary for the SNAP program,” Talwani wrote, noting that USDA can pull from multiple sources of funding to fully support November benefits.

Trump officials have insisted they don’t have the authority to use a $5 billion contingency fund and don’t have enough money to pay for the nearly $8 billion required for November SNAP benefits. On Friday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins declined to confirm whether she’d comply with a court order to fund food aid.

“We’re looking at all the options,” she told reporters.

President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for the delay.

“All the Democrats have to do is say, ‘Let’s go,’” he told reporters. “And you know, largely, when you talk about SNAP, you’re talking about largely Democrats, but I’m president, I want to help everybody, I want to help Democrats and the Republicans. But when you’re talking about SNAP, if you look it’s largely Democrats, they’re hurting their own people.”

Even with the rulings, Trump officials say they won’t be able to roll out the contingency funds in time, meaning SNAP benefits will still lapse Saturday, even if the White House decides to comply with the order. It will still take days and, in many cases, weeks to get SNAP benefits to low-income Americans, especially since the administration has not stood up a system since the shutdown began to disperse any partial funds.

Steve Ulrich is managing editor of Politics PA where this article originally appeared.