By Bob Katzen

The Senate approved two separate measures urging action from the state and federal government to provide funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – the federal food security program that provides food to more than 40 million United States residents, including 1 million residents of Massachusetts.

The first one is a resolution that urges President Trump and the Massachusetts Congressional delegation to use all existing authority to supplement and transfer available funds to sustain SNAP benefits throughout the duration of the ongoing federal government shutdown.

The second one is in the form of a letter that urges the House-Senate conference committee that is hammering out a fiscal year 2025 supplemental budget, to include funds for the SNAP program in its budget.

Supporters said that any disruption in SNAP benefits, even brief, “would threaten the food security and well-being of residents of the Bay State, disproportionately burdening seniors, children and individuals living with disabilities.”

They noted that “more than 5,500 retailers in the state participate in SNAP, with purchases accounting for up to 20 percent of all grocery spending in some stores” and argued that “an interruption in benefits would destabilize local grocers, undermine jobs and cause cascading harm to farmers, fishers and food producers.”

The House sent a letter to U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Liz Warren urging them to work with their colleagues in the Senate to resolve the continuing impasse as quickly as possible.

“As members of the Massachusetts Legislature, we are writing to express our deep concerns about the ongoing federal government shutdown’s detrimental impact on individuals and families,” reads the letter. “The consequences of the federal government shutdown are already having a far-reaching adverse impact on our constituents and their daily lives, but the problem is only going to get worse the longer this shutdown continues. Workers, including air traffic controllers and other essential employees, are going without pay or being furloughed. with about 25,000 federal employees in Massachusetts being impacted, among them members of our military. Small businesses that depend on government operations are also struggling, and our local economies are being placed under increasing strain.”

The letter continues, “Because of the shutdown, people who depend on having a strong safety net in place are now bracing for the imminent disruption of vital federally funded food and nutrition programs, including SNAP and the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program. In addition, more than 10,000 Massachusetts children are facing cuts in Head Start services, which are critical to promoting school readiness for preschoolers under the age of 5.

The letter concludes, “The ongoing stalemate at the federal level is untenable and is creating significant hardships and uncertainty for many Americans. We cannot allow this situation to continue indefinitely without a resolution because far too many people are being hurt by Congress’ inaction. While both parties may disagree on certain policy priorities, maintaining the basic operations of government and protecting the people we serve should never be a partisan issue.”

In the meantime, a federal judge in Boston ruled that the Trump administration must continue to fund SNAP as the government shutdown threatens food aid benefits for millions of Americans, ordering the White House to outline a plan to provide at least partial assistance starting Nov. 1. The ruling comes after a coalition of 25 states, including Massachusetts, sued to compel the administration to release the contingency funds for SNAP.

Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts said the administration’s suspension of benefits “is contrary to law,” noting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is statutorily required to use previously appropriated SNAP contingency funds when necessary and has discretion to use other available funds.

“Today’s court rulings affirm what we have known all along: the federal government must follow the law,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “It has both the responsibility and the means to ensure that no person in our great country goes hungry.” She urged the federal government to comply with the law and provide this essential funding.