More than 41 million Americans— and one million Massachusetts residents – are facing hunger as the Trump administration delays funding for SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps). The majority of SNAP recipients in Massachusetts are older adults, people living with disabilities, and children: vulnerable people who need the government to keep its promises and follow the law. Federal courts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island have ordered the USDA to use the federal SNAP contingency fund that is intended for this exact situation.

Still, the contingency fund won’t last for even the whole month of November. What happens when it runs out? The administration has been willing to move money around to fund other priorities throughout the shutdown — sometimes on shaky legal ground — but not SNAP. We can’t accept the suffering that their priorities are inflicting on millions of people.

The government must reopen, and Congress passing a clean Continuing Resolution that does not extend health care subsidies isn’t the solution. This unacceptable tradeoff would allow SNAP payments to go out in the near term but would double (on average) the cost of health insurance for 22 million Americans come January.  These issues are tied together by the political complexities of the shutdown.

From our view at CISA, they’re also tied together by the ways they will affect local families, farmers, and our local food system as a whole. Nearly 30% of farmers nationwide rely on Affordable Care Act subsidies to access healthcare. Twenty percent of grocery dollars in Massachusetts come from SNAP, so this represents a serious threat to the local farms and retailers that serve SNAP recipients, and to our state economy as a whole. We are presented with a false choice between food access and healthcare in the United States, with the health and security of millions of low-income families hanging in the balance.  

The failure to fund SNAP is an unprecedented, direct attack on our food system, and a cruel choice that is hurting millions of people. We call on the Trump administration and Congress to keep funding SNAP and keep our neighbors fed.

Jennifer Core, executive director, and Claire Morenon, communications manager

CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture)