Michigan lawmakers have proposed a bill package totaling nearly $1 billion to keep food benefits funded in the state.

This comes as the federal government shutdown continues into its fourth week.

The initiative, which is led by five House Democrats, would keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program operational past Nov. 1, which is when those federal taxpayer-funded benefits are set to be paused.

“The SNAP program is a critical lifeline for the most vulnerable in our state, bridging the gap between what those who are struggling can afford, and what they need to live,” said state Rep. Betsy Coffia, D-Traverse City, one of the bill sponsors.

Currently, nearly 13% of Michigan households, or about 1.4 million people, receive SNAP benefits. Of those, 43% are families with children and 36% are families with older or disabled adults.

The lawmakers who proposed this program said they have a responsibility to keep the program funded.

“For millions of Michiganders, the SNAP program provides the small amount of relief needed to take one financial worry off their plate, and put food on it instead,” said state Rep. Kimberly Edwards, D-Eastpointe, another one of the bill sponsors. “Food is one of our most basic human needs, and taking access to it away from 1.4 million Michiganders is unconscionable. We have an obligation to try every option available to stop this from happening.”

Among other measures, the bill package of five bills would create a $900 million “SNAP Fund” to keep the program temporarily operational.

On Tuesday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined 22 other attorneys general suing the USDA and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins for not using contingency reserves to continue funding SNAP.

“Emergency funding exists for exactly this kind of crisis,” Nessel said. “If the reality of 42 million Americans going hungry, including 1.4 million Michiganders, isn’t an emergency, I don’t know what is.”

Yet, according to a statement on the USDA’s website, “the well has run dry.”

This is the first time the U.S. government has shut down since 2018, and both Republicans and Democrats are passing blame. Republicans point out that, though they control both the U.S. House and Senate, they need seven Democrats in the Senate to meet the 60-vote requirement to pass a budget and end the government shutdown.

It is unclear if Michigan Republicans will support the food benefit bill package. Last week, state Rep. Ron Robinson, R-Utica, said these “vital programs” will continue to be a priority.

“While the federal shutdown is causing disruptions beyond our control, I want to assure the people of our district that here in Michigan, we are not in a shutdown and have taken strong, bipartisan steps to protect critical services,” Robinson said.

Without action soon, this shutdown could become the longest government shutdown in American history.

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