SE Minnesota News

House Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Brad Finstad (MN-01), along with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA), House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), and House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD), issued a statement on the current lapse in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding. The group attributed the situation to what they described as ongoing Democratic obstruction in reopening the federal government.

In their joint statement, the lawmakers said: “Democrats are denying full SNAP benefits to vulnerable Americans. For the first time in the history of the program, SNAP funding has lapsed—leaving those who depend on this lifeline at risk of going hungry. This outcome was entirely avoidable. Republicans voted to fully fund nutrition benefits and keep the entire federal government open. Had Senate Democrats joined us, full SNAP benefits would have continued, our troops, air traffic controllers, and federal workers would be paid, and every government service would be operational.

“Instead, they voted fourteen times to let families go without. The Trump Administration has taken great lengths to mitigate harm across the nation. Yet, Democrats are acting as if contingency funds are an acceptable substitute for full benefits. They aren’t. The emergency reserve is not enough to cover a full month of benefits.

“As Chuck Schumer and his caucus deflect blame in every direction, their voting record is undeniable: they chose politics over feeding families. The American people are not leverage. It’s past time for Senate Democrats to reopen the government and end the needless pain they’ve inflicted across the nation.”

According to background information provided by these lawmakers, Republicans voted to fund all operations of the federal government—including programs like SNAP—and sought to prevent any interruption in services for Americans who rely on them. They stated that Democrats repeatedly voted against measures that would have kept these services running.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture warned on October 10th that if a shutdown led by Democrats continued, SNAP could run out of funding in November; emergency reserves would not be sufficient for even one month of benefits.

Brad Finstad currently serves as a member of Congress representing Minnesota’s 1st district since 2022 after replacing Jim Hagedorn. He previously served in Minnesota's state legislature from 2003 through 2009 and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota.

Finstad was born in New Ulm, Minnesota in 1976 and continues to reside there.