Chicopee, MA – Today, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined Andrew Morehouse, Executive Director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, to highlight the impact of delayed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits caused by the Republican shutdown and the Trump Administration’s failure to release emergency funds.
With roots going back to the Great Depression, SNAP was officially established in 1964, when President Lyndon B. Johnson fulfilled President John F. Kennedy’s vision and signed the Food Stamp Act into law. Today, SNAP provides assistance to 42 million Americans, including more than 1 million residents across Massachusetts. In the First Congressional District, 191,000 residents in 74,000 households rely on SNAP to put food on the table. Of these 74,000 households, nearly 40% have a child, 42% have an elderly person, and 57% have an individual with a disability.
As a result of the government shutdown that began on October 1, SNAP benefits lapsed starting on November 1. Prior to the lapse in funding, Congressman Neal joined 213 of his Democratic colleagues in writing to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins, calling for the use of contingency reserve dollars to fund SNAP during the government shutdown. These funds would cover nearly two-thirds of the amount needed for a full month of benefits. In the letter, the Democratic members also called on USDA to use its statutory transfer authority and any other legal means to supplement any shortfalls not covered by the emergency funding.
“Feeding people, including children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, should not be a partisan issue. Republicans already cut $186 billion from SNAP in their Big, Ugly Bill—the largest cut to nutritional assistance in our nation’s history. Now, 42 million Americans are struggling to put food on the table because of their inaction,” said Congressman Neal. “I wrote to USDA Secretary Rollins, calling for the release of emergency funds because 74,000 households in my district rely on SNAP. This is not a game. These are real people who are now feeling the very real consequences of this administration’s abdication of responsibility. Congress authorized these funds, and the Trump Administration has the authority to prevent millions of families from going hungry. Enough is enough.”
As a result of the delays in delivering SNAP benefits, local food banks have already seen an influx in demand for their services. For more than forty years, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts has served communities across Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties, by sourcing, storing, and providing over 17 million pounds of food each year—the equivalent of more than 14 million meals. In 2023, the Food Bank relocated to its current 39,000 square foot facility, which was funded in part by $3 million in congressionally directed federal funding and $7 million in New Markets Tax Credits.
“With every passing day without federal SNAP benefits this month, 191,000 people in Western Mass and one million people across the state will not have enough food on their table to feed themselves, their children, and their grandchildren,” said Andrew Morehouse, Executive Director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. “People are confused, scared, and turning to community food pantries to stock up on more food. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is already providing more food to our 199 partner food pantries and meal sites across the four counties of Western Massachusetts. For every meal we provide, SNAP provides nine meals. We’re doing our best to fill the gap in the absence of SNAP benefits. We count on people and businesses in our region to support our mission, especially during unprecedented times like now.”
On October 31, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston and U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell in Providence each ruled that the Trump Administration is legally obligated to use emergency funding to resume SNAP payments. Judge Talwani ordered the administration to report by Monday on its plan to utilize contingency reserve funds, while Judge McConnell directed that at least partial payments be made by mid-week. In a filing on Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice indicated that the government would expend emergency funds to cover “50% of eligible households’ current allotments.” The exact amount that will be delivered to each beneficiary, and the timeline on which those benefits will be delivered, remain unclear. However, SNAP benefits for November have already been delayed and will be further delayed, as the process of loading SNAP cards can take up to two weeks in some states.
“While today’s news is certainly welcomed, it reaffirms what we have known all along: the Trump Administration has an obligation and the authority to implement emergency funding to deliver SNAP benefits,” continued Congressman Neal. “This program has been faithfully implemented for six decades across eleven presidencies. It should not take a judge to tell the President of the United States that we have an obligation to fulfill our promise to millions of American families.”
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts supports 199 distribution locations throughout western Massachusetts, including mobile food banks, member food pantries, meal sites, and shelters. For individuals in need of assistance, more information about the Food Bank’s services can be found by visiting foodbankwma.org or by calling 413-247-9738.
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