DeLaney reacts to Braun announcing partial SNAP benefits

Today, Gov. Braun announced that Indiana will issue partial SNAP benefits for the remainder of November. Since Nov. 1, the fate of SNAP benefits has been unclear due to the ongoing federal shutdown and legal battle over the release of federal funds in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Contingency Fund. Unlike some other states, Indiana's governor and the state legislature failed to take action to supplement SNAP with state dollars.

State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) issued the following statement: 

“The governor has announced that partial SNAP payments will be made. He failed to note that these are not state dollars that will be distributed. He failed to note that the state has contributed nothing to the solutions of this problem. He failed to note that there will likely be delays and confusion.

"Partial payments will not be enough to prevent families from going hungry. This mess will not be as easy to clean up as the governor is implying. 

“A few township trustees have been funding local foodbanks in their efforts to prevent the half a million Hoosiers relying on SNAP from going hungry. The governor would be much more helpful if he were doing the same. Instead, he blames one party from among his former senate colleagues.

"This would be a good time to act like a statesman.”