Michigan House urges Congress to reopen government and release SNAP funding after floor dispute

The Michigan House on the floor adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, a measure urging the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately release Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding amid the ongoing federal shutdown.

Lawmakers debated a floor substitute that changed the resolution’s wording and emphasis. Representative Isaac Grant spoke in opposition to the substitute, arguing it did not "address the needs of Michiganders at this critical moment" and warning that "1.4 [million] Michiganders depend on food assistance" and could be forced to choose between groceries, medications or utilities. Representative Mary Robinson offered the floor substitute and spoke in favor, saying the amendment urges Congress to "reopen the government by passing a clean continuing resolution" and urging cooperation to restore services. The House adopted the substitute and later adopted the resolution as a final action.

The debate focused on whether the state’s message to Congress should demand an immediate release of food assistance funds without conditions or endorse a broader, clean continuing resolution to reopen the federal government. Grant said the substitute risked "unfund[ing] health care resources," while Robinson argued the substitute better reflected a bipartisan message asking Congress to "do the same" cooperative work Michigan used to avoid a state shutdown.

The transcript records the substitute’s adoption and the resolution’s subsequent adoption, but does not include a roll-call tally for the final resolution. The measure now stands as an expression of the Michigan House urging federal action to restore SNAP benefits and reopen government operations.

The House took the action during a longer floor period that also included votes on multiple bills and several committee referrals.