Statewide Iowa (RI) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s starting to see encouraging signs that a resolution may be near to end the federal government shutdown, now in its 35th day. Grassley says he meets every Monday with a half-dozen or so other top Senate Republican leaders, while this past Monday, things were different.
Another member of Iowa’s delegation in Washington hints that the government could be reopened by Thursday, but Grassley wouldn’t offer a timeline. He notes the month-long shutdown is having a significant impact at home.
Grassley says 131,000 Iowa families rely on the federal government for food assistance, which he says translates to about 400,000 people. Those SNAP benefits ran out this past Saturday.
Even if there’s no agreement to reopen the government, Grassley says lawmakers are working to shift funding from an emergency account that would pump some money into the USDA for SNAP.
Since the weekend, Iowa food pantries are seeing a significant boost in demand.
KIWA Staff Photo
