“Wake Up Republicans!” You Too Can Lose Your SNAP Benefits if Secretary Rollins Doesn’t Act NOW!
A Message Delivered at the OCTOBER 18, 2025 NO KINGS Rally in Portland.
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME), a member of the House Agriculture Committee and 214 of her Democratic colleagues in Congress are demanding Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins utilize the Congressionally authorized SNAP contingency fund to provide food assistance to hungry Americans as the Republican shutdown approaches its second month according to a press release issued by her office this morning.
SNAP benefits were made available to eligible individuals in October, but due to the Agriculture Secretary’s unwillingness to use her statutory transfer authority along with the roughly $5 billion SNAP contingency fund to deliver benefits in November, 42 million American seniors, veterans and families with children risk not being able to keep food on their table. In Maine, 174,000 depend on SNAP benefits.
The letter signed by virtually every member of the House Democratic Caucus, comes as families, food banks and farmers face rising costs and potential food shortages due to inflationary tariffs, increasing wealth inequality and reluctance by Trump administration officials to exercise its legal authorities to ensure that SNAP operatons continue through November.
“USDA’s shutdown plan acknowledges that Congressional intent is evident that SNAP’s operations should continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds…’ USDA still has significant funding available in SNAP’s contingency reserve — which Congress provides precisely for this reason — that can be used do fund the bulk of November benefits,” the lawmakers wrote. “Additionally, while the contingency reserve will not cover November benefits in full, we urge USDA to use its statutory transfer authority or any other legal authority at its dissposal to supplement these dollars and fully fund November benefits.”
The letter concludes: “There are clear steps the administration can and must take immediately to ensure that millions of famillies across the country can put food on their table in November. Choosing not to ensure SNAP benefits reach those in need this November would be a gross dereliction of your responsibilities to the American people.”
“By the way Mark Swann, Executive Director of Preble Street, yesterday initiated an emergency fundraiser to help our neighbors in need. Can you help ou?,” asks this blogger.
Speaker Johnson’s refusal to call back into session the House is an indication that President Trump is terrified of swearing in Rep-Elect Adelita Grijlva of Arizona. If you haven’t been following this closely, that’s because she has said she will sign the discharge petition that will require the release of the Epstein files. Her vote will trigger the long awaited release of the Epstein files by the government. That refusal to bring the House back into session has earned Speaker Johnson the nickname of “pedofile protector.” In addition, there are probably numerous questions that the Blue Team doesn’t want to deal with if the House were called into session says this proud to be called “left wing lunatic.” Like – why won’t the Republicans extend the tax credits to make health care affordabble for their own constituents? Does the country need a new ballroom at the White House? Meanwhile, the Blue Team has filed a lawsuit against the “Let Them Eat Cake” Red Team to swear in the Arizona Rep.Elect so she can take her legal place in Congress and perform the duties she was elected to do.