Congress has the power to end the impasse over the federal budget currently endangering the health and well-being of millions of Americans including tens of thousands in Arizona, by cutting off SNAP — Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — which provides food aid to the neediest Americans.
By refusing to enact a bipartisan funding bill, Congress is condemning many of them to virtual starvation.
In an editorial in the New York Times, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, criticizes cuts to SNAP. He cites stories from constituents in his own state and notes that SNAP provides a “lifeline” to millions of young parents, people with disabilities, families suffering from temporary job loss and workers who have fallen on hard times.
According to his statistics, in 2024 around 42 million people, approximately 12% of the American population (including 1.2 million veterans), benefited from this program. He summarizes a long history of U.S. governmental aid for those who need food support, dating from the Great Depression through the creation of the Food Stamp program in the middle of the 20th century up to the present configuration of aid programs like SNAP.
Hunger is not a game, but a cruel reality for Americans across the political spectrum, and as Sen. Hawley notes, “if senators couldn’t buy groceries, the government would never close down again.”
Congress must reconvene and approve legislation ensuring the continuation of SNAP and other aid programs. We cannot play political games with essential food aid.
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