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Sen. Cassidy urges keeping SNAP benefits flowing during shutdown, cites state dependence
Summary
Sen. Bill Cassidy said he supports legislation to keep SNAP benefits active during the federal shutdown, citing that many residents in his state rely on food stamps and urging lawmakers to prioritize feeding children while negotiations continue.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he supports a bill by Rep. Josh Holly to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue during the ongoing federal shutdown, arguing that families and children depend on the program.
Cassidy told the program that ending SNAP assistance while negotiations continue would harm vulnerable families in his state. He said "there's like 800,000 people in my state, 350,000 children who rely upon food stamps," and added, "Let's get the SNAP benefits to the children who need it." He framed the effort as a bipartisan moral imperative and said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer "could end it tomorrow" by supporting an end to the shutdown.
The interview did not provide independent documentation for the population figures Cassidy cited; those numbers are presented in the transcript as Cassidy's statements. Cassidy also said state and local leaders have tried short-term measures to fill gaps while the federal government remains in a partial shutdown.
Cassidy called for a rapid, bipartisan resolution to prevent children and families from going hungry but acknowledged that broader negotiations could still affect how and when a permanent funding solution is reached.
