House and Senate Republican Leaders sent the following request to Gov. Matt Meyer today, asking for a cooperative approach for protecting food-insecure Delawareans who rely on SNAP benefits to feed their families…
The Honorable Matt Meyer
Governor of the State of Delaware
Tatnall Building
150 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. South
Dover, DE 19901
Dear Governor Meyer,
As the federal government shutdown drags on with no end in sight, thousands of Delaware families are on the verge of losing critical food assistance. If the shutdown continues, recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Delaware will not receive their benefits beginning November 1 because there are no federal funds available for distribution to the states.
This situation is not abstract as it affects real people in our communities. It means military veterans who have served our country could struggle to afford groceries. It means single mothers working multiple jobs may not be able to feed their children. It means seniors on fixed incomes could face empty pantries and impossible choices. Delaware has the power to prevent that outcome, and we urge your administration to act swiftly.
We respectfully request that your administration and Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Christen Linke Young identify and redirect any available funding resources to support the SNAP program.
If none are available, we call for a special session of the General Assembly to authorize an alternative path to ensure uninterrupted SNAP benefits for Delawareans in need. Two viable options include:
- Redirecting a portion of General Fund dollars currently designated for the proposed Legislative Hall parking garage project; or
- Utilizing a portion of the nearly $50 million set aside for the ERP Cloud Migration. These funds have not yet been encumbered and are easily accessible.
In any scenario, the redirected funds should be fully backfilled once federal operations resume, where legally permissible.
Delaware has both the resources and the responsibility to ensure no family in our state goes hungry because of a political stalemate in Washington. We urge you to act decisively and compassionately to protect those who need help the most.
Sincerely,
Delaware State Senate Republican Caucus
Delaware State House of Representatives Republican Caucus
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