The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced benefits will not be issued for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in November because of the ongoing government shutdown.
According to Iowa Health and Human Services, Iowa SNAP currently serves approximately 131,000 households per month and allocates around $45 million in benefits.
As stated by the USDA, there are an estimated 74,727 Nebraska households receiving SNAP benefits, and the total number of Nebraskans is 150,600.
Dr. Lindsay Huse, Health Director of the Douglas County Health Department, told Nebraska Public Media that they are currently putting together a webpage that will be accessible through their website that will list places like food pantries.
Lori Dykstra, CEO of Feed South Dakota, told South Dakota Public Broadcasting that 75,000 people in South Dakota use SNAP.
Dykstra also said if people receiving SNAP benefits are unable to get their cards reloaded, they’re going to turn to the charitable food network.
The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, along with the Winnebago Tribe, Santee Sioux, and Ponca Tribe, have all signed a letter of support for the continued distribution of SNAP benefits to tribal recipients. The letter said, “As sovereign governments we share responsibility for protecting the health, safety, and welfare of our citizens. SNAP serves as a critical lifeline to thousands of tribal families, elders, and children across our communities.”
The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska has encouraged tribal members to apply for their tribal food assistance program to prevent any interruption in food assistance. It also posted on its website a link to help those in need to find food assistance programs that are available.
The Nebraska tribes weren’t the only tribes to voice their concerns; the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe declared a state of emergency. In the emergency declaration, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe said that they have 2,319 recipients of SNAP, and 50% of them are children.
Earlier this week Iowa’s first District Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks introduced a bill that would fund the program until Congress reopens the government. She says it would cost roughly 9 billion dollars a month.
There are multiple states suing the government over SNAP benefits. Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska are not part of the lawsuit.