House Republicans are showcasing on-the-ground food bank service by members across the country while supplemental nutrition benefits (SNAP) remain suspended and Democrats continue to block the funding bill needed to end the shutdown.
House Republicans on Monday posted a social media message stating “DEMOCRATS: STOP using American suffering as political “leverage.” During the Democrat Shutdown, House Republicans are in our districts, on the ground, delivering real help. WATCH House Republicans step up and serve at food banks across America,” alongside a video featuring GOP members serving at food banks while federal assistance is suspended.
In the footage, Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) indicated Second Harvest “has seen a nearly 50% increase in demand.” Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) said, “A lot of this stuff gets subsidized by the federal government. Those subsidies are on pause during this shutdown.” A news station voiceover in the video noted that Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) toured the Food Bank of Iowa, “who says the pantry won’t be able to make up for the loss of SNAP,” while Nunn added, “We lost almost 90% of food aid if SNAP’s not funded, and that means more Iowans are going to be looking to our partners here.”
Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA) explained, “They’ve got grave concerns about the food coming in, about their ability to receive and supply it, keep the employees that they have for the delivery.” Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) commented, “We looked at the inventory here. We’ve dropped off some food. People are really concerned about their next meal. We need to quit playing these games, open this government, and then get down to business for these people.”
Chairwoman of the House Republican conference Lisa McClain (MI) remarked in the clip, “Democrats, these are the people that are suffering, that you all are using as leverage. It is shameful and despicable.”
On November 1, McClain released a press statement noting that 42 million Americans lost access to SNAP starting November 1 due to the Democrat shutdown, more than 20,000 flights were delayed or cancelled this week, and 2 million Americans were missing paychecks. National security impacts cited included 2 million servicemembers working without guaranteed pay and major civilian defense furloughs.
In an exclusive statement, Chairwoman McClain asserted: “Republicans passed a clean, responsible bill to keep the government open and fully fund SNAP, but Democrats voted no, 13 times! Now millions of families are struggling to put food on the table, flights are being cancelled, troops are working without pay, and critical national security operations are stalled. Meanwhile, House Republicans are on the ground in communities across the country, serving at food banks, coordinating with local charities, and delivering real help to families who are being hurt by this shutdown. The American people deserve leaders who prioritize their needs over partisan games. It’s time to end this shutdown and reopen the government.”
Recent Breitbart News reporting shows that 47 percent of immigrant households with children under six receive SNAP and/or WIC benefits, compared to 31 percent of native-born American households with young children, and that researchers noted immigrant households with modest incomes are significantly impacted by the suspension of WIC and SNAP during the shutdown.
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