Texas Democrats call on Abbott to act on SNAP funding during shutdown

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus is calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to act now in using the state’s Rainy Day Fund to provide funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as the government shutdown may cause 3.5 million Texans to lose access to funding for food.

“Texas has one of the biggest economies in the world. We can help ourselves. We have $4.6 billion left over in our state’s budget. Our Rainy Day Fund holds over $28 billion set aside for emergencies just like this,” the caucus said in a letter addressed to Abbott Thursday.

SNAP provided benefits to around 41.7 million Americans in fiscal 2024, according to reporting from The Hill. In that same year, the government spent $99.8 billion on SNAP. That’s a monthly average of $187.20 per participant.

Abbott provided a statement from his office on the caucus’ letter, saying the following:

“There’s a simple and immediate solution to this problem that could be achieved tomorrow. Senate Democrats should immediately end their government shutdown by approving legislation that already passed the U.S. House that will fully fund the government and ensure Texans don’t go hungry. While Democrats use low-income Texans as bargaining chips, Texas agencies are coordinating with community partners to connect families to existing assistance until the federal government gets back to work.”

-Gov. Greg Abbott statement

The caucus went on to say that Texans should not have “to wonder where their next meal will come from; where families have good jobs, fair wages, and the freedom to thrive without fear of hunger.”

In Abbott’s response, he also provided the following assistance for Texans who need access to food:

• Dial 211 (select option 1) or go to 211Texas.org to find information on food, education, housing, utilities and more.
• “Texas WIC provides nutritious foods, education, and other services to low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5.”
• Thriving Texas Families via the Texas Health and Human Services “provides support, education, and supplies to pregnant women and families.”