Governor Janet Mills today applauded Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey for joining a multi-state lawsuit to compel the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release contingency funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

"I applaud Attorney General Aaron Frey for joining this lawsuit. The USDA has contingency funding authorized by Congress for SNAP in cases of emergency but wrongly and callously claims it cannot spend it," said Governor Mills. "The USDA can and should distribute contingency funds to avoid the disastrous harm that stopping SNAP benefits would create for Maine families, children, and seniors."

On October 10, the USDA informed states that benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will not be distributed in November due to the Federal shutdown. On October 24, the USDA issued a memo claiming it could not legally use SNAP contingency funds to cover regular benefits.

Each month, SNAP supports the food needs of 170,000 Maine people, with the average family of four receiving $572 each month. Nearly 12.5 percent of the state's population rely on SNAP, with several counties -- Androscoggin, Aroostook, Washington, Piscataquis, and Somerset-- approaching or surpassing 20 percent of their populations. Nearly 75 percent of Maine's SNAP households include at least one working adult, more than half include a person with a disability, 43 percent include an older adult, and over one-third include children.

To address the impacts of the Federal shutdown on Maine, Governor Mills has directed her Administration to explore all options and available alternatives if a resolution is not reached and as additional Federally funded programs are affected. The Governor continues to call on the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress to prevent serious impacts and bring an end to the shutdown.

"Each day that passes during this shutdown causes more uncertainty and fear for people across the nation," said Governor Mills. "The Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress need to listen to the people of our country and stop cutting health care, stop hurting working families, and end this needless shut down."