Shapiro gives SNAP update, slams Congress

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(The Center Square) - Gov. Josh Shapiro headed to Luzerne County Thursday where he gave an update on his administration’s response to the stalled Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Even after two federal judges ruled that the government must at least partially fund SNAP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is saying red tape may delay the benefits for a month or more.

Shapiro says it doesn’t have to be that way. Department of Human Services Secretary Val Arkoosh reached out to the USDA Tuesday with a plan that would allow them to restore benefits at 50% within ten days modeling pandemic-era payments.

“USDA is directing states to use the most complex and labor-intensive approach possible to issue partial payments when it has better, more efficient options available to drive out benefits during this crisis,” Arkoosh wrote. “This will only further delay availability of food assistance for nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians who are currently not receiving benefits to which they are entitled, and result in wasted taxpayer dollars and long-term harm to Pennsylvania’s SNAP program.”

The governor said there has been no response from Washington. In the meantime, food banks are being overwhelmed by what Jennifer Warabak, CEO of Weinberg NE Regional Food Bank, called an “unprecedented surge in demand.”

Shapiro declared a disaster, allowing the state to tap into $5 million of funding to assist food banks, but they are not expecting it to be enough to meet the demand. As a result, they are calling on private businesses and individuals to kick in donations. Thus far, they’ve raised about two million dollars.

“Hunger doesn't exist in isolation — it touches every part of our lives.” said Warabak. “Our community's strength lies in our collective welfare. As we move forward, let's act with urgency and empathy. Together, we can help ensure that no one in our community goes hungry because of systematic barriers.”

Democrats and Republicans have continued trading the blame for the shutdown, which is now the longest in history. This is the first shutdown in which the government has attempted to suspend SNAP benefits in over 60 years. Democrats have accused the majority of making things difficult by design.

“The Trump Administration has made it harder every single step of the way,” said Shapiro, who pointed to “chaos coming out of Washington” when discussing the blue wave that carried Democrats to victory in municipal elections across the state.

“Understand that your congressman from this district voted to cut 510,000 Pennsylvanians off of their health care and at the same time voted to cut about a 140,000 of those two million Pennsylvanians off of SNAP, and the third thing they did was gut payments for Medicaid to rural hospitals, which is going to likely end up with 25 rural hospitals shuttering here in Pennsylvania,” said Shapiro. “That’s what your congressman voted for, and he was the deciding vote on that measure that President Trump signed into law.”

The congressman in question is Rep. Rob Bresnahan, a Republican whose district includes Pittston.

“I was very, very clear to those congressmen as they were weighing this bill about the impact it would have not just here in northeastern Pennsylvania, but all across this commonwealth. They voted for it, eyes wide open, knowing what the results would be,” said Shapiro. “I think it's shameful, and, hopefully, you will see a new Congress come and reverse those cuts going forward. And if Tuesday night is any indication, I think you're going to see a lot of change going forward here.”

For all of Washington’s dysfunction, the Pennsylvania state legislature has been stuck in a stalemate even longer, 128 days to be precise.

Shapiro said he brought leaders of both caucuses from both chambers to his office “for four straight days, twice a day” last week.

“I expect them to come back here in the next couple days and wrap this up,” said Shapiro. The Senate is expected to return to the capital this weekend.