Press Releases

WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Jim McGovern, Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, Senior Member of the House Agriculture Committee, and a national leader on issues of hunger and food policy, released this statement following the Trump administration’s refusal to guarantee that federal food assistance benefits will go out on time in November:

“It’s been 24 days since Republicans shut down the federal government. Meanwhile, food prices continue to go up as ground beef, coffee, and other household staples hit record highs.

“But instead of looking after the concerns of regular families, Donald Trump and USDA Secretary Rollins now appear ready and willing to shut down America’s largest food assistance program, screwing over millions of working and low people—seniors, children, and American with disabilities—who are now wondering if they’ll be able to eat next month.

“This is a choice. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has significant money set aside in multi-year contingency funding authorized by Congress for exactly this kind of a situation. Republicans are shutting down SNAP to create political leverage by inflicting pain on working families.

“This is also yet another act of retaliation and revenge by a resentful and vindictive President. Massachusetts taxpayers send more to Washington than we get back—with the expectation that federal food assistance will be there for our friends and neighbors if and when they need it. It is untenable and absurd to expect us to pay more than our fair share—only to have the vital programs our tax dollars fund withheld by a petty, spiteful administration.

“It is entirely on Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress to fully fund SNAP next month, stop this shutdown, and start putting everyday people ahead of millionaires and billionaires.”