Healey blasts Trump as SNAP benefits face cutoff
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Gov. Maura Healey says the state cannot provide the funds to keep food benefits going to its poorest residents as the federal government shutdown threatens SNAP recipients.
Why it matters: Starting Saturday, 42 million Americans nationwide, including one in seven Massachusetts residents, could lose food assistance if the shutdown continues.
What they're saying: "Feed people, Mr. President, feed Americans. It's your job," Healey, a Democrat, told the press Tuesday after a State House event.
- She condemned the USDA's position that emergency contingency funds can't be used to bail out SNAP.
- The USDA says the funds are legally restricted to natural disasters.
- Healey called Trump's position "cruel" and "callous."
The big picture: The partisan showdown is over fundamentally different interpretations of available federal authority during the government shutdown.
- USDA issued a memo Friday stating contingency funds are "only for true emergencies like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods."
- Healey argues that previous presidents have used contingency funds during shutdowns to maintain SNAP benefits.
The USDA warned states won't be reimbursed if they cover expenses independently, something Healey says is a nonstarter for Massachusetts, given the $240 million-a-month price tag for the program.
- "There's no way that this state, or any state, can begin to backfill or cover this," Healey said.
The bottom line: Massachusetts leaders won't dip into the state's $8.1 billion stabilization fund and put themselves on the hook for funding SNAP while the political showdown in D.C. continues.