We are now 30 days into the Democrats’ government shutdown.
Here’s the facts.
MYTH ❌: Republicans are responsible for the government shutdown.
FACT ✅: The House passed a clean, non-partisan, short-term continuing resolution over a month ago on September 19th. This short-term funding bill would have funded essential services and kept the government open. Senate Democrats rejected this bill 13 times.
MYTH ❌: Republicans control every branch of government, this is their shutdown.
FACT ✅: The Senate requires 60 votes to advance most legislation, including budget legislation. Senate Republicans have tried more than 12 times to reopen the government, but this takes 60 Senators voting yes. Since there are only 53 Republican Senators, Senate Democrat support is required and all but 2 Democrats have rejected this bill 13 times.
MYTH ❌: Republicans are taking SNAP benefits away from Americans.
FACT ✅: Congressional Republicans have voted 14 times to ensure Americans receive the benefits they rely on. The fastest way to ensure SNAP has the funding it needs is for Senate Democrats to vote for the clean CR.
MYTH ❌: The Trump Administration could fund SNAP
FACT ✅: The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated that it cannot legally use its contingency fund to cover regular SNAP payments. Under Federal law, those funds are dedicated to food for individuals in a disaster area. For example, if Hurricane Melissa impacts Florida or another state and food must be purchased as a result. Even if the money could be repurposed it is not enough to cover 42 million Americans relying on SNAP. Moving other funds would require taking them away from programs such as National School Lunch Program or Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
The fastest way to ensure that SNAP has the funding it needs is for Senate Democrats to vote for the clean, non-partisan, House-passed CR. SNAP EBT cards can be replenished within 24-48 hours of Senate Democrats passing the House’s funding bill!
MYTH ❌: Republicans’ budget cuts ACA subsidies, driving up healthcare costs.
FACT ✅: COVID-era ACA subsidies were expanded to include millionaires and designed to expire at the end of 2025. The truth is that re-opening the government by passing Republicans’ clean CR would not raise anyone’s healthcare costs. Democrats are using the shutdown as leverage to rewrite policy that they scheduled to sunset at the end of the year.