President Donald Trump insisted “we’re going to get it done” after being asked about funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the Democrats’ government shutdown.
While speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday, Trump was told that the Department of Agriculture said it did not have contingency funding for SNAP after Saturday’s deadline.
“We’re going to get it done,” Trump said. “The Democrats have caused the problem, unfortunately. All they have to do is sign, and if they sign, I’ll meet with them.”
Trump then linked the SNAP impasse to broader negotiations over healthcare, suggesting a deal could emerge once Democrats agree to reopen the government.
“We have to fix healthcare because Obamacare is a disaster,” Trump said. “When you see the increases in Obamacare, it never worked, it never will work, and we could do something with the Democrats much better than Obamacare. Less money and better healthcare.”
The president added that insurance companies are “making too much money” and called for bipartisan talks once the shutdown ends.
“I think it’s a great time for the Republicans and the Democrats to get together and make something that will work,” he said.
SNAP provides food assistance to roughly 42 million low-income Americans each month.
The program’s future is in jeopardy because federal appropriations have not been approved amid the shutdown, which is due to Democrats refusing to vote for a clean continuing resolution.
The USDA website says that without new funding, benefits cannot be paid, warning, “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01.”
The department said its $5 billion in contingency funds cannot be used for SNAP, as those dollars are reserved for disaster aid and other child nutrition programs.
Democrat-led states have sued the Trump administration, claiming USDA is legally obligated to use contingency funds to cover the lapse.
But the White House countered that “over 40 million Americans face the risk of losing critical SNAP food benefits because Democrats “prioritized political games over the needs of the American people.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., echoed Trump’s urgency in a New York Times opinion column this week, warning that millions of Americans could lose access to food assistance within days.
“America is a great and wealthy nation, and our most important wealth is our generosity of spirit,” Hawley wrote. “Congress must not let that happen.”
Hawley said SNAP supports working families, veterans, and those facing hardship.
“Nobody in America, this richest of nations, should go to bed hungry,” he wrote, urging Congress to pass his bill ensuring uninterrupted food aid.
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