State leaders got the SNAP response right

Now that the government shutdown is over, the federal game of chicken over SNAP benefits should end too. That fight showed just how critical state action is to protect the safety and security of Vermonters.

Thanks to the foresight of Vermont legislators this spring coupled with their quick action last month, thousands of Vermonters were able to access food assistance despite the federal government’s refusal to pay.

Unlike past shutdowns, when the federal government ensured funding was made available to keep the SNAP program going, this administration is fighting in court to deny Americans the ability to feed their families.

The state’s Emergency Board authorized the use of reserve funds to temporarily provide assistance to over 60,000 Vermonters. At the same time, Vermont’s Attorney General joined a multi-state lawsuit to push the feds to fund essential nutrition programs during the shutdown.

State leaders shored up the rainy day fund in the spring precisely for urgent moments like this: to prevent Vermonters from going hungry. And by joining the multi-state lawsuit, Vermont also made it clear that the federal government cannot continue to manufacture emergencies and shirk its responsibilities to the people of Vermont.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. The Trump administration and Congressional leadership have demonstrated that they are not afraid to sacrifice the health and safety of Americans to advance their political goals. This includes eliminating healthcare tax credits that help 30,000 Vermonters access healthcare. Vermont lawmakers will likely have to grapple with many more federal actions like these in the coming months and years.

Vermont’s timely response to the benefits freeze is a reminder that state action has the power to protect against dangerous federal policies. And that the state can—and should—address immediate potential harm to Vermonters while simultaneously holding the federal government to account.