John,
Every time I visit a food bank or talk with families in Western Pennsylvania, I hear the same thing: people are working harder than ever and still struggling to put food on the table.
Now, with this shutdown dragging on, things are getting worse. SNAP funds are running out. Food banks are running out of supplies. And families are running out of time.
Behind all the headlines and chaos are real families — scared, stretched thin, and wondering how they’ll feed their kids next week, let alone themselves.
Recently, the Trump administration actually called it “disastrous” to release emergency SNAP funds.
But let’s be clear about what’s truly disastrous: not a government doing its job to feed people, but a government choosing not to. Donald Trump and his admin could release those emergency SNAP funds today. They have the power. But instead, they are choosing to let families starve JUST to make a political point.
I’ve met parents skipping meals so their kids can eat. Seniors choosing between groceries and medication. Grocery workers who can’t afford the food they stock. Veterans waiting in line at food banks after serving this country. Home health aides who spend their entire day caring for others, then go home to empty pantries. And the list goes on…
There is no other way to put it: this is a moral failure.
Forty-two million Americans depend on SNAP to survive. They deserve a government that has their backs, not one that uses their hunger as a bargaining chip.
No one should go hungry in the richest country in the world. Not one child. Not one senior. Not one single family. And when those in power choose politics over people, they’re not just failing to lead, they’re choosing to let our neighbors suffer.
I refuse to accept that. And I know you do too.
Donald Trump and his administration could fix this today. They could choose to feed families instead of starving them for politics. They could ease the strain on food banks and help the people who keep this country running.
But instead, they are choosing cruelty. They are choosing to let families go hungry, to let children cry from hunger in the richest country in the world, to use people’s pain as a political weapon. And that choice tells us everything we need to know about their priorities.
With so much love for our people,
– Summer Lee
