Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, is pictured speaking on the House floor in June.

Tempers are flaring in Harrisburg, as a House Republican is chastising Gov. Josh Shapiro and the state’s Health and Human Services secretary for their messaging on SNAP payments.

Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, recently criticized Shapiro and Dr. Valerie Arkoosh over an Oct. 20 news release that blamed Congressional Republicans for the upcoming delay in SNAP payments. Heffley said Arkoosh should have focused on factual information rather than political messages. In a letter to Arkoosh that was signed by several state House Republicans including Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren, Heffley emphasized the importance of transparent communication with the public about changes to SNAP benefits, while condemning recent DHS statements that appeared to assign political blame.

“We recognize the economic hardship that the cessation of payments of SNAP benefits has had on our constituents, and we sincerely hope that the issue can be resolved in a timely manner,” Heffley’s letter said. “However, the Department’s use of an official state website to assign blame is of little comfort to the constituents who will not receive the SNAP benefits.”

The Oct. 20 news release said the USDA had notified states that it will be unable to fully fund November SNAP benefits because of the federal shutdown.

Since its inception in 1964, the federal government has fully funded SNAP, distributing more than $366 million every month to Pennsylvania. No SNAP benefits will be issued until a budget or continuing resolution is passed by Congress.

“Inaction from Republicans in Congress threatens more than just access to health care for Pennsylvanians who rely on tax credits to purchase health insurance — it now disrupts life-sustaining food assistance and other critical programs and further endangers health and wellbeing for Pennsylvanians who rely on these programs and services,” Arkoosh said in the news release. “I urge Republicans in Congress to recognize the serious consequences impacting local economies, small businesses, and the health and safety of people in Pennsylvania and nationally. This shutdown is jeopardizing access to health insurance and disrupting these critical services, and I urge our leadership in the U.S. House and Senate to come together for a solution that protects people most at risk.”

Heffley pointed out Pennsylvania’s own state budget is more than 100 days overdue, with fiscal issues still unresolved.

“It’s puzzling the department chose to focus on Washington politics while ignoring the real budget issues we face in Pennsylvania,” said Heffley. “Now more than ever, we should be working together to solve problems.”

Heffley and his colleagues urged DHS to take a bipartisan approach to communicating with the public and addressing the ongoing needs of Pennsylvanians affected by economic hardship. They emphasized the shared goal of the Shapiro administration and the General Assembly should be to ensure assistance reaches those who need it most through cooperation and constructive discussion, rather than political division.

While Heffley is critical of Shapiro and Arkoosh, U.S. House Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson sent a letter to Shapiro warning him that what Thompson termed mismanagement of Pennsylvania’s SNAP funding harms families needed to be brought under control. Thompson said Shapiro had brushed off $450 million in misspent federal funds as nothing more than “minor paperwork errors.”

“If your administration cannot make improvements in program administration that have been possible in the past, I suggest that you re-examine budget priorities and further invest in SNAP. Congress can no longer turn a blind eye to states diverting taxpayer funding from vulnerable families, and you have an opportunity to be a part of this solution,” Thompson wrote. .

Despite the ongoing shutdown, SNAP recipients with unspent funds on their EBT cards will still be able to use that money. SNAP benefits do not expire at the end of each month and are able to be spent for a calendar year. The state will continue to process applications for SNAP and other benefits during the shutdown. Recipients should continue to report case changes, submit any semi-annual reviews or renewals they receive during this period, and update their cases for the new federal work reporting requirements that start November 1 to not risk an interruption of their benefits in the future.

For immediate needs during the shutdown, Pennsylvanians can use PA Navigate pa-navigate.org/ to help find food and other resources. Local help is also available by calling 211 or visiting www.pa211.org. Pennsylvanians can also visit www.feedingpa.org to find local food banks and other food assistance programs.

Arkoosh also urged Pennsylvanians who are able to assist their local food banks, food pantries, and other helping organizations are encouraged to support however they can as these organizations continue to experience high demand.