House Democrats did something that their Republican counterparts haven’t done in nearly six weeks — they met in person Tuesday night on Capitol Hill.
Democrats discussed the looming crisis over SNAP funding, which runs out on Nov. 1. They blamed President Donald Trump and GOP congressional leaders for the situation, even though virtually all House Democrats voted against a Republican plan to fund federal agencies through Nov. 21. And there was extreme bitterness toward Speaker Mike Johnson, who hasn’t brought the House back into session for more than 40 days while refusing to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.).
“Mike Johnson — what an insignificant, irrelevant human being he has become,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) complained. McGovern and other Democrats want Johnson to bring back the House immediately.
Democrats claim that the responsibility for the SNAP crisis is squarely on the Trump administration, arguing that the Agriculture Department should draw on a roughly $5 billion contingency fund to pay benefits for a few weeks. The Trump administration doesn’t believe it can use that funding to keep benefits available in November for more than 40 million Americans who use the program.
“This is a hoax being perpetrated by this administration for political reasons to point a finger at Democrats,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. “They have $5 [billion] to $6 billion in a contingency fund which says it’s exactly for these kinds of purposes… They are in violation of the law.”
Democratic attorneys general from California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada and possibly other states will brief Democratic members and senators on a lawsuit filed Tuesday against USDA over the contingency fund, said lawmakers and aides.
Rep. Angie Craig (Minn.), top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, urged members at Tuesday night’s caucus meeting to message on rising health care premiums and SNAP benefits running dry.
“It makes them more corrupt and more cruel every single day when they actively choose to try to leverage people — hungry Americans,” Craig said of Republicans. “That’s on them.”
Frontliner Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) said he believes the shutdown’s impacts, including the SNAP cliff, will raise the pressure on both parties to end the impasse. Suozzi is also bullish that Republicans will feel heat when Obamacare open enrollment begins Saturday.
“I personally am concerned that a lot of people are suffering in our country,” Suozzi said. “We have to be able to effectively demonstrate that we’re fighting for them and that we’re doing everything we can to address the challenges they face.”
