SNAP crisis: Nevadans to face extra stress amid impending holidays

Nevada State Senators propose SNAP alternative as benefits run dry.

Needy families across the nation are scrambling to find food this month as the federal government shutdown continues, today tying the record-breaking 35-day mark. Without a continuing resolution, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have run out in time to add holiday pressures amid inflation and the “Trump slump.” 

The Trump administration announced over the weekend it would partially fund the critical program for November, following a judge’s ruling, using $4.6 billion in contingency funds, NBC News reports. The help won’t arrive soon enough, according to the US Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, who wrote in a post on X/Twitter that it would take several weeks to reach households.

However, President Donald Trump today announced via TruthSocial that he will now defy judicial orders and withhold SNAP benefits until after “Radical Left Democrats open up government.”

According to Nevada Treasurer Zach Conine, a Democrat, that puts 495,000 Nevadans at risk of hunger, including 250,000 children. On top of putting one in six Nevadans who receive SNAP at risk, Conine said businesses also stand to lose $160 million this month without SNAP purchases. 

“But even beyond the economic activity, you’ve got the broader chilling effect of what happens when individuals don’t have money in their pockets as we go into a holiday,” he said. “This chilling effect at the end of the year … creates significant concerns on mental health.”

This comes as the gridlock in the Republican-controlled Congress persists over health insurance subsidies, with Democrats advocating for negotiations to pass a temporary spending bill that includes the premium tax credits for the Affordable Care Act.

While White House Republicans and Democrats remain at a standstill, and even with Nevada lawmakers putting nearly $40 million towards food banks this month to help address the $90 million SNAP shortfall, Conine wants to allocate direct payments to Nevada SNAP recipients using the state’s $1.3 billion Rainy Day Fund. 

“Our work in the treasury is making sure that we have the resources necessary when there are moments like this—we have the resources necessary in a moment like this,” he said. “Now we just need to use them.”

However, he said the state Legislature “is a little split on it.” 

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo alleges in a letter addressed to Nevada US Congressional Democrats that such an effort would violate federal regulations, citing a USDA memo. It stated that recipients’ data cannot be shared with the program’s food vendor and that “States cannot cover the cost of benefits and be reimbursed.”

Conine still urges swift action on behalf of Nevadans ahead of the holiday season, when seasonal depression is prevalent. 

The American Psychological Association found that nearly 90% of Americans who participated in a 2023 poll are overwhelmed during the holiday season for several reasons, including financial pressures. The poll also revealed that 41% of participants experienced more stress during the holidays.

State Senate Democrats announced today that they will introduce a $181 million SNAP alternative during this month’s special session, covering food aid for November and December. 

The program would require the governor’s support, as he authorizes any policies decided on during a special session, per the Nevada Constitution.