Washington, D.C. – Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) has joined two bills – one led by Democrats, the other led by Republicans – to ensure that families still have access to Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits if the government shutdown stretches beyond the end of the month. The Trump administration has chosen not to use the five billion dollars in contingency funds that Congress has appropriated to ensure Americans get the food assistance they need while the government is shut down, and the passage of either of these bills would prevent the implementation of that cruel policy.
“I’ve made my position clear: shutting down the government only serves to harm hardworking Americans, and I am against using the lives of Nevadans as political bargaining chips,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “But as long as we are in this position, I demand that the Trump administration use the tools at its disposal to make sure Nevada families don’t go hungry.”
The Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025 was led by Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.). It would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately release the funds that Congress has already appropriated in contingency funds to keep food assistance funded during the shutdown. The Keep SNAP Funded Act led by Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) would appropriate funding for SNAP, providing uninterrupted SNAP benefits without the need for contingency funds. Senator Cortez Masto has joined both of these bills, and she will work with her colleagues on either side of the aisle to end the shutdown, address the looming health care crisis, and maintain SNAP benefits for those that need them.
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