SNAP food assistance delays will affect more than 1 million Michiganders

State Rep. Ann Bollin today blasted federal leaders for their failure to prevent a government shutdown that is now delaying food assistance payments and threatening essential programs across the country.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday announced that payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be delayed because of the ongoing federal shutdown. In Michigan, about 1.47 million residents, including roughly 572,000 children, rely on SNAP benefits to help feed their families.

“The situation in Washington is absolutely unacceptable,” said Bollin, R-Brighton Township. “Senate Democrats are refusing to vote for a simple continuation budget that would keep essential programs like SNAP running while Congress works out a longer-term deal. Because of their inaction, families who did nothing wrong are paying the price. It’s shameful, and it needs to end.”

Bollin said Michigan’s leaders have already proven that responsible budgeting and bipartisan cooperation can prevent this kind of disruption.

“Michigan’s government is open because we did our job,” said Bollin, chair of the House Appropriations Committee. “We passed a balanced budget that protects health care, funds schools at record levels, and invests in public safety and infrastructure. There’s absolutely no excuse for Washington to be shut down. If we can work together in Lansing to keep services running, Congress can too.”

Bollin urged federal leaders to take immediate action to protect the people who depend on federal services.

“Senate Democrats need to pass a clean continuing resolution — just like we did here in Michigan — to keep the federal government operating and prevent further harm to families,” Bollin said. “Then they need to do their jobs and pass a long-term budget that provides stability for the essential services people count on. We showed in Michigan that it can be done. It’s time for Washington to follow our example and get back to work.”

People affected by the SNAP payment delay can call 2-1-1 to be connected with local food and community resources or visit the Food Bank Council of Michigan website to locate nearby food banks and learn about additional hunger relief efforts.