Copyright Salt Lake Tribune
One month into a federal government shutdown, tens of thousands of the poorest Utahns will go through November without the aid that ensures they have access to groceries. The state’s all-Republican top elected officials announced Thursday that Utah will give as much as $4 million — half a million each week — to supplement the Utah Food Bank until the government reopens and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program resumes. But before mentioning the funding increase, a news release from Gov. Spencer Cox, Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz made clear who they believe is to blame, saying the state is responding to an “ongoing Democratic government shutdown.” The message follows a trend of partisan finger-pointing across the country as the lowest-income Americans head toward Thanksgiving uncertain about where they might get food. And Utah Republicans’ statement comes as more Americans blame the GOP than the congressional minority for the nearly monthlong shutdown, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. SNAP funding stopped The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the SNAP program, initially said it would use contingency funds to ensure SNAP recipients continued to receive their benefits despite the government shutdown, but the agency recently reversed course. Announcing it will not issue benefits Nov. 1, USDA placed a bold note at the top of its website telling visitors — while using anti-immigrant and anti-transgender language — the absence of SNAP benefits is the fault of U.S. Senate Democrats. “We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats,” the federal agency wrote. “They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance.” The USDA’s comments followed a slew of federal agencies under President Donald Trump’s administration sharing messages earlier this month condemning Democrats for the funding lapse, and prompting accusations of violations of the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in partisan politics. “While Utah works to support its citizens,” state officials said in the release, “Democrats in Congress continue playing political games, putting working families at risk, hurting veterans, workers and communities nationwide, leaving essential personnel unpaid and critical services unfunded.” Some blue states have shared messages placing responsibility for the SNAP pause on the White House, and more than two dozen Democratic governors and attorneys general are suing the Trump administration for suspending the food benefits. A federal judge was expected to issue a ruling Thursday, but indicated she believes the federal government should at least partially fund the program. Beyond the politicized pronouncement, it’s unclear where Utah is pulling the attached extra funding for food banks from, and when such a disbursement was approved. When spokespeople for the governor’s office, the Senate and the House of Representatives were asked Thursday, only a representative for the governor responded. “The Legislature and the Governor have allocated $500,000, with the Utah Legislature committing up to an additional $3.5 million — $500,000 per week, or until the federal government reopens,” Cox’s spokesperson wrote. The Utah Food Bank brings in millions annually, and the majority of its revenue is through contracts with government entities. Lawmakers, earlier this year, approved a law allowing Utahns to contribute part of their tax return to the food bank. Former state Rep. Brian King, now the chair of the Utah Democratic Party, suggested the Republican trio turn their attention to influencing Utah’s federal delegation and other members of their own party to take action to end the shutdown. “Republicans control the Senate, Congress, and the White House. All six members of the Utah delegation are Republicans,” King wrote in a statement. “Instead of using taxpayer resources to disclaim responsibility, I recommend Governor Cox, Speaker Schultz, and President Adams demand that Trump and their buddies in Congress come to the negotiating table, end the shutdown, and stop holding crucial food assistance hostage. This is entirely a crisis of their own making.” The government, as of Thursday, has been shut down for 30 days. ‘Completely separate buckets’ At the heart of the closure is a fight over health care funding. Senate Democrats have refused to cross the aisle and vote for a short-term continuing resolution unless Republicans agree to extend enhanced premium tax credits that help millions of Americans — and thousands of Utahns — pay for Affordable Care Act health insurance. Members of Utah’s congressional delegation have consistently blamed Democrats for the shutdown throughout October, as well as for the expiration of the enhanced subsidies, as Democrats were in control of Congress when the tax credits were expanded in 2021. “The Democrats put the expiration date on them because they were temporary, and now all of a sudden it’s Republicans’ fault that they’re expiring,” Sen. John Curtis said earlier this month. Several other members of Utah’s congressional delegation have also placed blame for the shutdown on Democrats. Rep. Blake Moore, of the 1st Congressional District, has also blamed Democrats and said the minority’s demands are inappropriate in the context of a government funding conversation. “When we talk about a shutdown, we’re talking about 12 specific appropriations bills,” he said earlier this month. “None of them dictate what goes on with the Affordable Care Act. … You can’t solve [the] Obamacare debate discrepancy within an appropriations bill. They’re two completely separate buckets of funding.” Republicans currently have control of all three branches of government. Democrats have pushed back against the decision to cut off SNAP funding. On Wednesday, congressional Democrats introduced legislation to extend SNAP funding despite the shutdown, and party leaders have accused President Donald Trump of “weaponizing hunger” by refusing to tap into contingency funds to pay for the program. “The Republicans have been on a crusade against SNAP all year,” Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer of New York said this week. “They slashed it by $200 billion this summer to pay for their tax cuts for billionaires. So they’ve never wanted SNAP, and they don’t want it now. Again, they’re using these 40 million innocent people as pawns.” Republicans rejected the proposal to expedite SNAP funding. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota called the bill “a cynical attempt to provide political cover” and said Democrats should vote to reopen the government if they want funding dispersed.
