With days left before the end of the month, more than 40 million Americans could lose access to food assistance if the USDA follows through on plans to withhold billions in SNAP contingency funds.
The agency announced it will not release emergency funding to cover November benefits if the federal shutdown continues — a decision that could immediately cut off grocery support for millions of families, seniors, and children across the country.
GW experts on food and health policy are available to discuss the immediate impact on households and the long-term risks to national food security. If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Katelyn Deckelbaum, katelyn [dot] deckelbaum
gwu [dot] edu (katelyn[dot]deckelbaum[at]gwu[dot]edu).
Gabby Headrick is an assistant professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. As a food systems dietitian, Headrick’s research, teaching, and practice center on the social, environmental, and political determinants of food and nutrition security in the United States, with a particular focus on urban food systems.
Leighton Ku, a professor of health policy and management and Director of the Center for Health Policy Research at the George Washington University, is an expert on the Affordable Care Act, access to healthcare and Medicaid. In a report with the Commonwealth Fund, Ku warns that potential budget cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could trigger severe economic consequences across all 50 states.
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