A grocery store in Oakland, California, displays a sign informing shoppers that it accepts electronic benefit transfer cards used by state departments of human services to issue food assistance benefits. States are just starting to implement changes to work requirements under the national food stamp program approved this summer by Congress and President Donald Trump. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
How almost 1.5 million As low-income Ohioans face the loss of food assistance in the coming days, two statewide Republicans appear to be giving congressional Democrats a choice: choose between that and health care subsidies received 514 thousand low- and middle-income residents because they won’t accept both.
The partial government shutdown has been going on for almost a month now.
Democrats in Congress have refused to sign the funding bill unless Republicans agree to extend it subsidies for the purchase of health insurance on marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act.
In the absence of the subsidies – which expire on January 1 – health care costs will change more than twice for 24 million Americans, according to the non-profit health analysis organization KFF.
Republicans in Congress this summer passed President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Act.
I assure you approximately $1 trillion in tax cuts to the richest 1% of Americans over 10 years while it is being cut almost the same amount from Medicaid.
It also cuts $186 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the deepest cuts in the history of the program.
While Trump’s bill extended the 2017 tax cuts by favoring the wealthy, Republicans in Congress have so far refused to extend ACA subsidies that began in 2021.
As the outages resulting from the impasse continued, millions of federal workers have not been paidand millions of military personnel will potentially join them on December 1.
Cuts to food assistance, or SNAP, under Trump’s bill were to begin on November 1. However, with the closure of the system, there is a risk that funding for the program will cease altogether.
Last summer, when the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was passed, Ohio food bank operators argued that already overloaded as high food prices have increased the number of hungry people while increasing supply costs.
This was before she faced a complete clawback of SNAP funds, no matter how momentary, and before some of these unpaid federal workers began to rely on their services.
“Although we are ready to lend a hand those affected, our resources are already exhausted an average of 1.4 million Ohioans visit our food pantries each monthand prolonged outages will further burden our network,” the Ohio Food Bank Association said in an article: written declaration.
“We count on our donors, supporters and communities to step up in every way possible as our network continues to respond. This situation highlights the critical role of public-private partnerships in supporting working families.”
Ohio’s Policy Matters Advisory Panel Finds Congress Doesn’t Need to Pass a Bill Expanding Food Benefits; Trump has the power to do this unilaterally.
“Past practice and Government Accountability Office guidance clearly demonstrate that the SNAP Contingency Reserve is available to cover regular SNAP benefits,” Executive Director Hannah Halbert said earlier this week in a written statement.
“This administration’s decision to waive suspension funding standards suggests its willingness to allow hunger to fade into the background of partisan politics.”
She called on Ohio’s U.S. senators Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, both Republicans, to urge Trump to donate reserve funds to hungry Ohioans.
Husted’s office was asked if he had oneurged the Trump administration to look for ways the government can maintain SNAP funding. It didn’t respond.
This was pointed out by Moreno’s spokeswoman Bill was a co-sponsor. Introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, it would give the Secretary of Agriculture the power to appropriate money for SNAP – powers sought by the secretary and president: Policy Matters and other organizations I already have it.
The bill makes no mention of expiring health care subsidies.
Asked if Moreno believed that Senate Democrats should let them expire to save food aid, a spokeswoman did not respond.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost led 18 Republican attorneys general on Tuesday letter calling on Democrats to end the SNAP crisis.
Addressed to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., he urged him to lead his caucus to agree to a “clean” funding bill.
To do this, Democrats would have to abandon their demand for extended health care subsidies.
“This doesn’t have to happen,” Yost said in his letter about the loss of SNAP funds. “Congress can stop the threat now by passing a clean, continuing resolution that keeps essential services funded and protects those who depend on them. You have the power to prevent a crisis that is entirely avoidable.”
Yost’s office was asked why the Republican AG didn’t also write to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-D., given that he has more power than Schumer.
They also asked whether Yost had, in fact, pushed for the health care subsidies to expire.
It didn’t respond.
With a million and a half Ohioans at risk of losing food assistance, groups that have led anti-Trump protests have called on people to lend a hand.
The No Alliance of Kingswhat led huge protests On October 18, people across the country are urged to donate to food banks, support local shelters and organize collections.
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