District to Ensure Washingtonians Receive November SNAP and WIC Benefits

Councilmember Frumin’s statement in response to Mayor Bowser’s update on DC November SNAP and WIC benefits:

“The federal government has placed the District and other states in an impossible situation: withholding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding during the government shutdown, while warning that any state action to fill the gap will not be reimbursed. Faced with the choice between spending up to $29 million in local funds or allowing tens of thousands of DC residents to go hungry, including nearly 50,000 children, the District has taken the responsible step of funding SNAP benefits.  While the District is doing the right thing under difficult circumstances, it is profoundly frustrating that local governments are being forced to shoulder a federal responsibility just to keep families fed. I am profoundly frustrated that while the federal government fails to act, local governments are being forced to shoulder a federal responsibility just to keep families fed due to its willful inaction.”