Iowa Rep Introduces New Stand-Alone SNAP Funding Bill to Sidestep Schumer Shutdown – RedState

Schumer’s shutdown continues with no sign of an imminent deal, and some government benefit programs are starting to run out of funds. One of these programs is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. It’s about to run out of money, but Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) introduced a bill to fund the program during the shutdown.

The Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025 would continue funding for the food assistance program during the period of government inactivity until the Department of Agriculture is funded through regular appropriations or stopgap measures.

The bill is a companion piece to a SNAP funding bill in the Senate led by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), which Senate Republicans are reportedly considering for a vote. Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) is a co-sponsor of the House bill.

Since there are versions of the bill in the House and Senate, one would think this measure could pass fairly quickly. In the House, all that is required is a simple majority vote. In the Senate, of course, the 60-vote margin still applies, but surely Senate Democrats wouldn’t engage in political grandstanding to delay a clean spending bill like this, would they?

Would they do it?

SNAP benefits are funded by the federal government while states operate and share the costs of administering the program and distributing benefits. Because funding is sent monthly to states, October benefits have not been affected – but November payments could be at risk. The Agriculture Department warned that there would not be enough funds to pay out full SNAP benefits in November if the shutdown continues.

“More than 262,000 Iowans, including more than 100,000 children, rely on SNAP to put food on the table. They cannot afford to be ‘leveraged’ in Democrats’ political games. That’s why I’m introducing legislation to ensure SNAP remains funded throughout the shutdown. Access to food is non-negotiable,” Miller-Meeks said in a statement.

We could point out one thing: The evidence suggests that for Senate Democrats, everything is negotiable, unless it’s a Republican proposal.

Learn more: Trump administration torpedoes unnecessary investigation used to inflate SNAP use

Thanks, Chuck Schumer: USDA says SNAP benefits will run out, with no emergency funds to draw on

Of course, the SNAP program would also be funded through the clean continuing resolution, currently blocked in the Senate. Senate Democrats, led by increasingly autocratic and somewhat desperate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), insisted that no CR pass. So it wouldn’t be surprising if Senate Democrats blocked this plan as well.

This could be an opportunity for the Republicans. In politics, messaging is everything, and in recent history Democrats have been pretty good at this, largely because they aren’t too burdened by honesty. But here’s another Republican point based on solid truth: We tried to get SNAP funding, a clear bill to do that and nothing else, and Democrats refused. Just as the shutdown is on them, now all the little children waking up hungry in America today are also on them.

President Johnson, Majority Leader Thune, and the rest of the Congressional Republican Party will be joining us on Sunday talk shows this weekend. Put on the pressure. We now own this issue. Make the most of it.

Editor’s Note: Schumer’s closure is here. Rather than putting the American people first, Chuck Schumer and radical Democrats forced a government shutdown on health care for illegal immigrants. They own that.

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