Amid a weekslong federal government shutdown, members WMCA decried the looming lapse in funding for SNAP. They called on federal policymakers to take action to prevent a food security and economic crisis. Without immediate action, the program is set to run out of funding on November 1.
“The political impasse in Washington now threatens both the health of Americans and the strength of the nation’s economy,” said Rebekah Sweeney, WCMA’s Senior Director of Programs & Policy. “Forty-two million people rely on SNAP to feed their families. Dairy processors rely on a stable consumer base to keep their businesses running. It’s time to stop the political games and fund SNAP now.”
SNAP provides food benefits worth approximately $8 billion each month to low-income families to supplement their grocery budgets. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 79 percent of households using SNAP include at least one child, elderly adult, or person with a disability.
“SNAP is a lifeline for our most vulnerable neighbors, so they can afford the wholesome foods essential to their well-being, including dairy products. Without SNAP benefits, low-income families may be forced to buy cheaper, less nutritious foods. That’s bad for their health, and it’s bad for dairy businesses,” said Kim Heiman, President of WCMA and of Nasonville Dairy in Marshfield, Wisconsin.
Studies show that SNAP households spend a significant portion of their food aid on dairy products.
Milk, cheese, and yogurt among the most frequently purchased items. Even a temporary freeze in program funding would shrink those retail sales. Doing so perhaps by hundreds of millions of dollars each month.
