REPS. BORTON AND ROTH: FEDERAL FAILURES REQUIRE STATE TO STEP UP AND KEEP PEOPLE FED

The following information was released by the Michigan House of Representatives, the Republicans:

State Reps. Ken Borton and John Roth today highlighted an announcement from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that she would direct the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to disburse $4.5 million to the Food Bank Council of Michigan to ensure food banks in all 83 Michigan counties can provide assistance to individuals affected by a stoppage of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits stemming from the ongoing federal shutdown.

"The federal shutdown is about to get way too personal for Michigan families," said Borton, R-Gaylord. "People in our communities are about to lose benefits they rely on to feed their families. Kids will go to school hungry, parents will be forced to choose between rent and groceries, and food banks will be hit by an onslaught of desperate folks with nowhere else to turn. I'm grateful to the governor for building on bipartisan wins within the state budget and ensuring these families will have some additional resources to draw during this disastrous shutdown."

"Michigan food banks will be a lifeline for families in need as SNAP benefits pause," said Roth, R-Interlochen. "We have to ensure these organizations have every available resource to provide for the families most directly affected by the ineptitude at the federal level."

Borton, who chairs the House committee responsible for agriculture and rural development, and Roth, who chairs the House committee responsible for human services within MDHHS, both urged Congress to pass a clean continuation spending plan to reopen the federal government and save the public from impossible decisions between food, energy, and basic necessities.

"Both the federal government and our state government were barreling toward a shutdown just a few weeks ago; the difference is we did the work here in Michigan to avoid a stoppage in essential services," Roth said. "Michigan Democrats and Republicans saw how devastating a shutdown would've been for our communities, passed a short-term spending plan to avoid that reality, and engaged in bipartisan negotiations to find a long-term plan that worked for everyone. Meanwhile, Congress has missed every opportunity to save people from the worst parts of a long-term shutdown."

At the state level, Republicans and Democrats passed a bipartisan budget that delivered for Michigan. Within that budget, there are key resources that Michiganders can rely on as federal programs halt, including a $5 million funding stream for the Double Up Food Bucks program, which matches SNAP purchases of fruits and vegetables. The state budget also includes $2.9 million to support the statewide 2-1-1 program, which connects people in need to resources like food banks and other assistance programs.

"State programs are going to be all some families have left if the federal government doesn't figure out this mess quickly," Borton said. "I'm proud to have worked with both Republicans and Democrats to ensure state programs have the resources they need to address crises just like this. This is what government is supposed to look like, not whatever is happening with Congress right now."

Earlier this week, Michigan's Fair Food Network announced immediate action to expand the Double Up Food Bucks program flexibility and access for families losing SNAP benefits. These measures which last through the end of this year include removing an expiration date on unused benefits, ending daily spending limits, and allowing recipients to purchase frozen fruits and vegetables.