Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday she will call the New Mexico Legislature into special session Monday to extend state-funded food benefits as a federal government shutdown continues, according to a statement from the governor’s office.
The one-day session comes 10 days after Lujan Grisham released $30 million in emergency state funds to provide benefits to New Mexicans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, funds the governor’s office said will be depleted Monday.
SNAP benefits were suspended under the government shutdown, and the state stepped in after what the governor’s office described as the Trump administration’s initial refusal to release contingency funds, according to the statement.
“We acted fast in October when the Trump administration abandoned New Mexican families, and now the legislature is coming back to finish the job,” Lujan Grisham said in the statement.
The governor said several years of economic prosperity and sound fiscal management have enabled the state to support residents during the shutdown, but warned that the state cannot fund supplements indefinitely.
Secretary Kari Armijo of the New Mexico Health Care Authority said the agency administers SNAP benefits for 460,000 New Mexicans.
“This special session will allow us to continue serving New Mexicans while federal funding for the SNAP program remains uncertain,” Armijo said in the statement.
Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth and House Speaker Javier Martínez both expressed support for the special session in statements released by the governor’s office.
“No New Mexican should go hungry because of inaction and uncertainty in Washington, D.C. Senate Democrats fully support Governor Lujan Grisham’s decision to call this special session,” said Wirth. “The legislature is ready to step up again to ensure our families have the food assistance they need.”
“We are not letting New Mexican families go hungry because the Trump administration doesn’t want to fulfill their legal and moral obligation to fully fund the SNAP benefits that children, seniors and veterans across our state rely on,” Martínez said. “While the federal government shutdown drags on, we are going to keep showing up to work, so we can protect our people from the chaos and cruelty coming out of Washington, D.C.”
New Mexico Senate Republicans released a statement after the governor’s announcement, blaming the state’s U.S. senators for the shutdown.
“Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich have made it crystal clear: They don’t care about you. They have repeatedly prioritized party politics over serving their constituents back home,” Senate Republican Leader Bill Sharer said. “While we’ve seen their antics before, Senators Luján and Heinrich have set a new low by holding the hard-working people of New Mexico hostage as political pawns for their partisan theatrics, forcing state lawmakers to have to shoulder the cost so that vulnerable New Mexicans can put food on their tables for the holidays.”
House Republican Leader Gail Armstrong issued the following statement regarding the special session:
“We are being called into another special session because Senators Luján and Heinrich are refusing to fund SNAP benefits for the neediest New Mexicans,” said Armstrong. “I would much prefer the Governor use her authority and influence to urge our Senate delegation to end this crisis by voting to reopen the federal government. Instead, they are holding vulnerable New Mexicans hostage for political leverage. The people of this state deserve more than the costly and dangerous political games Senators Luján and Heinrich continue to play.”
Lt. Gov. Howie Morales will serve as acting governor during the session, as Lujan Grisham is attending the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Brazil with other U.S. mayors and governors, according to the statement.
During an Oct. 1 special session, the legislature approved $29.3 million in emergency measures, including $16.6 million for direct food assistance, $8 million for local emergency food distribution and $2 million for student meals, according to the governor’s office.
The Legislature will convene at noon Monday at the State Capitol in Santa Fe.
Let’s make sure everybody understands, that Democratic leader Chuck e cheese cheeseburger Schumer is responsible for the shutdown. He refuses to come to the table and work with Republicans on opening up the government. Republicans have voted 14 times to open up the government Chuck e cheese Schumer has voted no 14 times.