US Senate Adjourns Until Monday, SNAP to Expire Saturday will be Supplemented by State
GRANTS, N.M. — The U.S. Senate failed to reach an agreement to reopen the federal government as of 2 p.m. MST on Thursday, Oct. 30, adjourning for the weekend and extending the shutdown into at least Monday, Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. EST.
With Congress now gone until Monday, the human realities of the crisis are set to hit Americans — and Cibola County residents — as soon as this weekend.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will expire Saturday, Nov. 1, leaving an estimated 42 million Americans without food aid. In New Mexico, roughly 460,000 residents — 21 percent of the population — depend on SNAP, the highest rate in the nation.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 7,933 people in Cibola County rely on the program to afford groceries, in a county where 41 percent of children live below the poverty line.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Wednesday, October 29, that the state will release $30 million in emergency funding to help fill the gap. According to the governor, beginning Nov. 1, the Health Care Authority will load state-funded benefits directly onto existing EBT cards, providing roughly 30 percent of a household’s normal monthly allotment, or at least $100 for seniors and people with disabilities.
“These are state dollars — separate from federal SNAP funding — meant to make sure New Mexicans can put food on the table in the immediate term,” the governor said in a statement. She signed 40 executive orders authorizing the funds and declaring a temporary state of emergency, while warning that no state “can afford to bridge this massive gap indefinitely.”
In Cibola County, Grants Community Pantry Executive Director Alice Perez said the organization is preparing for an influx of clients as benefits lapse. “Some people will not realize they’ve lost access until they’re standing at the grocery checkout,” Perez said. “We’re prepared to help, but we cannot meet every need alone.”
The White House Council of Economic Advisers estimates New Mexico’s economy is losing $76 million each week the shutdown continues, while consumer spending could fall by $439 million monthly. Roughly 1,074 Cibola County residents — 11 percent of the local workforce — are federal employees now missing their second paycheck.
The US Senate’s adjournment on Thursday guarantees no federal action before benefits expire Saturday, leaving New Mexico’s $30 million emergency fund as the only immediate relief for families. Lawmakers are not expected to vote on a funding measure until next week, when the shutdown will tie the longest in U.S. history.
Residents can check balances or apply for aid at YES.NM.GOV, call 1-800-283-4465, or contact the Grants Community Pantry for assistance.