Senate passes emergency food assistance bills

A spending bill to provide some food assistance during the federal government shutdown passed in the Michigan Senate Thursday.
 
Under instruction from the federal government, the state is pausing “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” or “SNAP, payments starting next month.
 
The bill would put money toward helping some low-income Michiganders afford food while those payments are paused.
 
Republican state Senator Jonathan Lindsey voted for the bill, though he calls it a bluff since it couldn’t take effect by Saturday when SNAP payments will stop going out.
 
“People need to understand this is all political theater.”
 
But Democratic Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks says there will still be a need for help after November starts.
 
“It only begins on the 1^st and it continues to grow after that as long as Republicans in Washington D.C. don’t take responsibility and open up government again.”
 
Meanwhile, the governor and Republican House leadership say they’re putting a fraction of the Senate bill’s money toward food banks to buy time.