{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/miller-meeks-introduces-legislation-keep-snap-funded-during-government", "Miller-Meeks Introduces Legislation to Keep SNAP Funded During Government Shutdown", "2025-10-24", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "House", "IA", "Mariannette Miller-Meeks", "M001215", "millermeeks.house.gov", "millermeeks", "https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "IOWA \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) introduced the Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025, legislation to ensure uninterrupted benefits for Iowans and Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during a government shutdown.\n\nThe bill appropriates the necessary funds for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue issuing SNAP benefits during any lapse in appropriations, ensuring that no eligible recipient faces disruption due to political gridlock in Washington.\n\n\u201cMore than 262,000 Iowans, including 100,000 children, rely on SNAP to put food on the table,\u201d said Miller-Meeks. \u201cIowans cannot afford to be used as leverage in Washington\u2019s political games. This bill ensures families continue to receive the nutrition support they depend on, no matter what happens in Congress.\u201d\n\nThe legislation would provide the Secretary of Agriculture with access to emergency funds to maintain SNAP operations throughout any government shutdown, as well as retroactive authority to restore missed benefits in the event of a lapse.\n\nMiller-Meeks emphasized that while she continues to call for the government to reopen, protecting essential programs like SNAP must remain a top priority for rural and working families.\n\n\u201cIowa doesn\u2019t have an abundance of food banks and pantries to absorb a major lapse in SNAP,\u201d Miller-Meeks continued. \u201cAny delay would be catastrophic for thousands of families already struggling with the cost of living. This bill provides the certainty they deserve while Congress works to resolve the shutdown.\u201d\n\nBackground\n\n262,000 Iowans, including 100,000 children, rely on SNAP benefits each month.\n\nSNAP operations typically remain funded for only 30 days following a lapse in appropriations.\n\nThe Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025 ensures continuous benefit delivery by granting USDA the authority to appropriate necessary funds during any shutdown period.\n\nThe bill also includes retroactive benefits to cover any missed payments caused by the Schumer Shutdown.\n\nThe introduction of this legislation builds on Congresswoman Miller-Meeks\u2019 broader efforts to mitigate the harm of the ongoing government shutdown, including her support for the Pay Our Troops Act and the Eliminate Shutdowns Act, which would prevent future shutdowns from occurring altogether.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/miller-meeks-introduces-legislation-keep-snap-funded-during-government"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8482909761369228, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}