Democratic lawmakers rally at the State House, demanding swift state action to protect SNAP benefits and prevent hunger across Alabama.
SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
Standing behind signs reading “No Kids Hungry” and “People Need Food,” Alabama’s Democratic lawmakers made an urgent plea this week: do not allow families across the state to go hungry while politicians in Washington argue.
“We’re here, we’re ready to work,” declared House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, calling on Governor Kay Ivey and the state’s Republican majority to convene a special legislative session.
“There’s money there,” Daniels said. “We’ve mentioned before the contingency funds, the Rainy Day funds, that have money available. But there are other sources as well. We could tighten the belts in other areas to make sure we get these folks fed.”
With the federal government shutdown stretching into its fourth week, the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) warns that more than 750,000 Alabamians who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could soon miss their benefits — a devastating blow to working families, children, and seniors across the state.
Federal Blame Game in Full Swing
Even as Alabamians brace for empty grocery shelves and delayed benefits, Republicans in Washington are pointing fingers — at Democrats.
On Monday, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) joined Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) in backing the Keep SNAP Funded Act, legislation aimed at ensuring uninterrupted SNAP benefits during a shutdown. Britt described the move as necessary “in light of Democrats using struggling American families as leverage in their political games.”
“Democrats could end this shutdown today,” Britt said. “Every day this shutdown continues, Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats continue to prove they couldn’t care less about hardworking Americans. They would rather prevent millions of Americans from putting food on the table than support a spending bill identical to one they supported 13 times during the Biden Administration.”
Britt added that her team is working with Alabama DHR to “ease the pain countless Alabamians are feeling due to Democrats’ selfishness.”
A Party in Power Still Pointing Fingers
The blame aimed at Democrats raises deeper questions about accountability — because, as of November 2025, Republicans control nearly every lever of power in Washington:
• The Presidency — held by a Republican administration.
• The U.S. Senate — a Republican majority with 53 seats.
• The U.S. House of Representatives — a Republican edge of 220 to 215.
• The U.S. Supreme Court — a 6–3 conservative majority.
Despite this dominance, GOP leaders have continued to fault Democrats for the ongoing shutdown and the strain it’s causing working Americans.
Dale Strong: “This Democrat Shutdown Is Hurting the American People”
North Alabama Congressman Dale Strong (R-AL-5) echoed the Republican line, blaming Democrats for the gridlock and its impact on essential workers and families.
“This Democrat shutdown is hurting the American people,” Strong said. “Service members, air traffic controllers, and more essential staff are working without knowing if their next paycheck is coming.”
Strong also criticized Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, calling his comments about the shutdown “tone-deaf.”
“People in North Alabama and all over our country are struggling,” he said. “Yet Democrats insist that ‘every day gets better’ while ignoring the real damage being done.”
Strong urged Senate Democrats to “stop playing politics and join Republicans in voting to reopen the government immediately.”
Democrats Push Back: ‘All Alabamians Deserve Food’
At the State House, State Senator Merika Coleman joined Daniels in calling for a special session to provide emergency state funding if federal support fails.
“We’re ready to make sure that not one child, not one senior citizen, not one disabled person in the state of Alabama goes hungry,” Coleman said. “We challenge our Republican colleagues to come out as well, because it’s not just the constituents in our districts — it’s all Alabamians.”
But so far, Governor Kay Ivey has shown no signs of calling lawmakers back to Montgomery.
Governor Ivey’s Office: “This Is a Federal Issue”
Governor Ivey’s office maintains that SNAP is a federal program, not a state responsibility.
“As Alabama DHR noted, SNAP benefits are 100 percent federally funded,” a spokesperson said. “While the state does not have extra money to do Congress’ job, Governor Ivey hopes to see U.S. Senate Democrats get on board to reopen the federal government.”
Ivey’s office has repeatedly said there are no plans for a special session to address the crisis.
Federal Courts Intervene
In Washington, U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D-Alabama) applauded two federal court rulings that blocked the Trump Administration from withholding SNAP funding.
“I am relieved that our federal courts have stepped in to prevent the heartless Republican efforts to rip food away from hungry families,” Sewell said. “Their refusal to release emergency funds was a blatant violation of the law.”
Following those rulings, Patrick Penn, Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, confirmed that the USDA would use contingency funds to cover only half of November’s SNAP benefits.
“FNS intends to deplete SNAP contingency funds completely and provide reduced benefits for November 2025,” Penn stated in court filings.
The Human Toll
For families across Alabama, the politics of Washington feel far away — but the consequences are close to home. Parents are rationing food. Seniors are choosing between medicine and meals. Rural grocery stores are bracing for lower sales.
As Daniels put it:
“We always seem to find money for the things we want to fund. This time, it’s about funding what we need— feeding Alabama’s people.”
Until Washington resolves its standoff, Alabama’s leaders — from Montgomery to Capitol Hill — face a moral test: will they stop pointing fingers long enough to keep food on the tables of their own citizens?