Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., have released the memo that the Agriculture Department sent to state officials asking them to tell vendors not to load October food stamp benefits until the issue of government funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program after the end of the fiscal year on September 30 is resolved.

USDA officials, Merkley and Stabenow on Tuesday urged Republicans to pass a continuing resolution quickly so that computers can be programmed to deliver benefits on October 1.

But Democrats said they would not support a Republican proposal to defund Planned Parenthood as part of the continuing resolution.

• USDA Letter to SNAP State Agency Directors