Cape News

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has written an opinion piece urging Congress to act on his proposed legislation to continue funding federal food assistance programs, which are at risk of running out due to the ongoing government shutdown. The shutdown has lasted 28 days, making it the second-longest in U.S. history.

In his op-ed, Hawley highlights the potential impact on approximately 42 million Americans who rely on federal food benefits. He writes, "Congress must not let that happen. America is a great and wealthy nation, and our most important wealth is our generosity of spirit. We help those in need. We provide for the widow and the orphan. Love of neighbor is part of who we are. The Scripture’s injunction to 'remember the poor' is a principle Americans have lived by. It’s time Congress does the same."

Hawley notes that key services have already been curtailed during the shutdown and many federal employees are working without pay, but he warns that allowing food assistance to lapse would cause additional hardship: "But letting federal food assistance lapse would introduce an entirely new stage of suffering." He calls for either a full funding bill to reopen government or passage of his bill to maintain uninterrupted food aid.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, supports over 12 percent of Americans—those earning up to 130 percent of the poverty line, or about $42,000 for a family of four. According to Hawley, "For these good people, food assistance is not an optional extra. They need it to feed their children."

He also points out that SNAP beneficiaries include young parents, people with disabilities, families facing job loss, workers struggling financially, and veterans—about 1.2 million former service members receive SNAP.

Hawley addresses economic challenges faced by working families: "What cost $100 five years ago costs $125 today," emphasizing that stagnant wages mean more families struggle with grocery bills.

Citing letters from Missouri constituents dependent on SNAP benefits—including a retired teacher caring for grandchildren and individuals facing medical hardships—Hawley stresses there is no justification for letting qualified recipients go hungry: "There is no reason any of these residents of my state — or any other American who qualifies for food assistance — should go hungry."

He argues that supporting SNAP costs only about one-tenth of the annual defense budget and insists aid should be reserved for those truly in need: "Of course, aid should be limited to those who truly need it. But there is no cause, and no excuse, to deny aid to the poor entirely."

Calling on Congress to pass his bill even during a shutdown while noting lawmakers continue receiving paychecks themselves, Hawley concludes: "But this isn’t about politics at all in the end. It’s about who we are...America is a great nation precisely because we have loved our neighbors as ourselves. Congress should live up to that legacy now."