Today, Iowa Senate Democrats and Iowa House Democrats submitted a joint appeal to Governor Kim Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Bird to take the steps necessary to bring relief to Iowa families during the federal shutdown. Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Janice Weiner and Iowa House Democratic Leader Brian Meyer have released the following statement.
“Republican leaders in Washington – including Iowa’s entire federal delegation – are playing political games with the country’s well-being,” Senate Democratic Leader Janice Weiner (D-Iowa City) said. “Today, Legislative Democrats have spoken in unison and outlined to Gov. Reynolds and Attorney General Bird a plan for state government to step into the gap and prevent Iowans – our friends and neighbors – from going hungry.”
“By Saturday, working families across Iowa could lose the ability to put food on the table,” said House Democratic Leader Rep. Brian Meyer (D-Des Moines). “The state has $107 million in earned interest from the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund that the governor can use right now to cover the SNAP shortfall caused by the federal shutdown. Families are already struggling to make ends meet, and this is a simple, realistic way to keep Iowans fed during this crisis.”
“In addition, we urge the attorney general to immediately join 25 other states in a federal lawsuit compelling the USDA to fulfill its obligations to use emergency contingency funds to provide federal SNAP coverage during the shutdown,” Sen. Weiner said. “We all work for Iowans, not for President Trump. SNAP benefits have never lapsed before.”
“In prolonging this absurd, self-destructive shutdown, our state’s Congressional Republicans are willfully ignoring their obligation to Iowa’s hungry, its elderly, its children, and its working families,” added Leader Meyer. “If Washington refuses to do its duty, Iowa leaders have the responsibility to step up to ensure families don’t starve.”
