State Forced to Fill Federal Gap While Congress Fights
Nevada families depending on food assistance are caught in the middle of Washington’s latest political game. While Democrats in the Senate refuse to pass a simple funding bill, Governor Joe Lombardo and state leaders scrambled Thursday to find $30 million to keep food banks running.
The Nevada Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee – a special group that can meet and approve spending even when the full Legislature isn’t in session – had to dig into emergency funds just to prevent a hunger crisis. This committee exists specifically for urgent situations like this, allowing a handful of lawmakers to make critical decisions when waiting for the next regular session would be too late.
The Real Story Behind the Shutdown
Here’s what’s really happening. Senate Democrats are holding the entire federal government hostage over temporary health care tax credits that were always supposed to expire. Instead of passing the Republican funding bill that would reopen the government immediately, they’re demanding these credits be extended – putting their political wish list ahead of feeding hungry families.
Nearly 500,000 Nevadans rely on SNAP benefits – that’s $90 million every month going to families who need help putting food on the table. Starting Saturday, those benefits stop unless the federal government reopens. Three Square food bank says they’ll need to double their normal food distribution just to try to keep up.
Governor Takes Action While Democrats Point Fingers
Governor Lombardo didn’t wait around for Washington to fix this mess. His office quickly moved $7.8 million through emergency programs, and the Nevada Department of Agriculture found another $800,000 by restructuring its budget. That money is already going out to food banks.
“Nevadans deserve a functioning federal government, not political brinkmanship,” Lombardo wrote in a letter to Nevada’s Democratic representatives.
“It’s time to put partisanship aside and get the government back to work.”
Compare that to what Democrats are doing. Attorney General Aaron Ford is wasting time with lawsuits instead of working on real solutions. State Treasurer Zach Conine is calling the situation “disgusting” – but he’s blaming President Trump instead of his own party members who refuse to pass a clean funding bill.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Three Square CEO Beth Martino was honest with lawmakers:
“This is not enough to meet the need, and there’s probably no way that philanthropy can fill this gap. The answer is to reopen the government and run these programs as intended.”
She’s right. The state would need $270 million to replace what SNAP provides – money Nevada simply doesn’t have. Even with the National Guard helping distribute food and drive-through locations opening Saturday, it won’t be enough.
What makes this worse is that 75% of people showing up at food pantries lately are first-time visitors. These aren’t folks who normally need help – they’re working families caught in an impossible situation because politicians won’t do their jobs.
Democrats Own This Crisis
President Trump made it clear:
“The Democrats have caused the problem on food stamps. All they have to do is sign.”
Nevada Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto is one of the few Democrats with enough sense to vote for the GOP’s bill. But Jacky Rosen and the House Democrats like Dina Titus, Steven Horsford, and Susie Lee are playing politics while Nevada families worry about their next meal.
State lawmakers like Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui are quick to show up at committee meetings to voice concerns, but where’s their pressure on their own party to end this crisis?
What Happens Next
The Massachusetts judge hearing Ford’s lawsuit indicated she might force the USDA to use emergency funds, but that’s just a band-aid on a bullet wound. The real solution is simple: Senate Democrats need to drop their demands for temporary health credits and pass the funding bill today.
Limited government conservatives have always said states shouldn’t have to bail out federal failures. This situation proves the point perfectly. Nevada taxpayers are now spending millions because Washington politicians care more about scoring political points than feeding families.
If you’re tired of this nonsense, call Senator Rosen’s office and tell her to support the clean funding bill. Call your state representatives and ask why they’re not putting more pressure on congressional Democrats to end this manufactured crisis.
The federal government created these dependency programs. The least they can do is keep them running instead of forcing states to pick up the pieces when political games get in the way.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
