DOVER: In response to Governor Meyer’s announcement that Delaware will fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for Delawareans on a week by week basis through November, legislative leaders – including House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, Senate President Pro Tempore David Sokola, House Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn Harris, Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, House Majority Whip Ed Osienski, Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth Lockman, House Minority Leader Timothy Dukes, Senate Minority Leader Gerald Hocker, House Minority Whip Jeff Spiegelman, and Senate Minority Whip Brian Pettyjohn issued the following joint statement on Wednesday:
“Over the past several weeks, we all heard from Delawareans who are deeply worried about losing access to food assistance – parents unsure how they would feed their children, and seniors struggling to make ends meet. We took those concerns seriously and worked tirelessly to ensure families would not face unnecessary hardships.
“Through that effort, and with continued engagement from the administration, we’re relieved that full SNAP benefits will now continue for November. This is a win for Delaware families and for the values we share as elected leaders – compassion, stability and responsiveness to the needs of the people. Funding SNAP is the right call and will save thousands of Delawareans from unnecessary hardship during these uncertain times.
“We’re grateful to the Governor and his team for their partnership in meeting Delawareans’ most fundamental need. This outcome demonstrates the power of responsive leadership and what’s possible when we stay focused on people, not politics.
“We are also glad to hear that food assistance programs across the state, including the Food Bank of Delaware, will be receiving extra help. These institutions have been important partners to our state in combating hunger, and with rising food insecurity continuing to stretch their capacity, this assistance will help them continue to meet the urgent needs of our most vulnerable neighbors.”
On Tuesday, House and Senate Republican Leaders called on the Governor to redirect state funding to protect SNAP recipients in Delaware.
