LAKEWOOD, Ohio — With Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits set to expire this weekend if the government shutdown continues, states like Ohio, which has 1.4 million residents receiving benefits, are watching closely.
"It's going to have impact here in the State of Ohio as soon as this coming week," DeWine said Tuesday on a visit to Cuyahoga County, where nearly 200,000 residents rely on SNAP benefits.
"As soon as this month is over, the Federal Government has told us, the administration's told us, that there's not money for SNAP, that there's not money for WIC. So these are two things that we're very concerned about," he said.
It's a looming problem felt nationwide. In Louisiana, a state that also has a Republican governor and legislature, they are looking to move around other funds to cover the SNAP shortfall at least in the short term. News 5 asked the governor if he was considering the same.
"We're looking at it," said DeWine. "We're looking to see what our options are. I don't have anything to announce today, but we're certainly, certainly looking at this."
In the meantime, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, which was already preparing for a busy November, is historically its busiest month of the year. But the government shutdown and expiring SNAP benefits kick that into a higher gear.
"We have noticed a lot of traffic on our website, lots of people seeking out where to get help," said Karen Pozna of the Food Bank.
And they, in turn, are seeking where to get additional food —at least 20% more — to provide that help.
"Right now, we have our food resource team working to be able to identify vendors who may have food available. There's lots of logistics involved," she said.
On Monday, Cleveland City Council sent letters to DeWine and Ohio's two Republican Senators, Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, saying in part, "City Council urges you to swiftly bring this shutdown to a close and reinstate essential federal services. We also strongly advocate for your support in pressing federal leaders to utilize all available administrative mechanisms, including using the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s existing contingency funds, to temporarily maintain benefit distribution. This could be the difference between our families having food or facing hunger."
Both Moreno and Husted have signed on as co-sponsors of a bill by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), the Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025, which would fund the food aid program during the shutdown through stopgap measures. No vote is yet scheduled.
"I will continue to vote to reopen the government, and I urge my Senate Democratic colleagues to do the same," said Husted in a news release. "But for now, we cannot allow millions of innocent Americans to go without the benefits they rely on."
Moreno's Communications Director, Reagan McCarthy, told News 5, "the Democrats on City Council should be calling on National Democrats to end the Schumer Shutdown by voting for the bipartisan continuing resolution. Unfortunately, members of their own party are using government employees and needy families as political pawns, which is why Senator Moreno has a bill that would immediately fund SNAP benefits while Democrats keep the government shutdown.”
In the meantime, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank wants people to know that if you are in need of food assistance, go to their website, where you'll find a map locator where you can put in your zip code to find the nearest pantry to where you live, where you can go and get food.
