Washington D.C — Today, at the order of a federal judge, the Trump administration was dragged kicking and screaming and forced to tap into an emergency fund to pay out SNAP benefits. But even then, the Trump administration is choosing to only fund half of the regular benefits that over 40 million people rely on to feed themselves and their families. This simply is not enough. Millions of children will go hungry without full SNAP funding.
Yet, the ones that got us into this mess in the first place – congressional Republicans – are still nowhere to be found. They already voted to cut SNAP earlier this year, and, now, they are choosing to keep the government shut down instead of doing their jobs, lowering health care costs, and funding vital programs like SNAP.
“Let’s remember that Republicans in Congress are keeping us in this shutdown by refusing to permanently extend cost-saving health care tax credits that millions of Americans rely on to afford health coverage,” said Unrig Our Economy Campaign Director Leor Tal. “Now, their refusal to pass legislation to fund SNAP or even negotiate with Democrats to find a solution is jeopardizing 40 million Americans’ ability to access food assistance. Millions of children will literally go hungry because Republicans didn’t want to lower the cost of health care. Republicans don’t get to take food away from families, choose to fund only a portion of what they need to survive, and expect us to thank them for it. We need Republicans in Congress to restore full SNAP benefits, save Americans’ health care, and end the government shutdown.”
To learn more about the campaign, visit UnrigOurEconomy.com or contact press@unrigoureconomy.com
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About Unrig Our Economy
Unrig Our Economy is a national campaign to fix the rules of our economy to make it work for working people. We know that when the middle class does well, all of us do well — which is why we’re fighting on behalf of working Americans and holding corporations, their wealthy executives, and the politicians who enable them accountable.