With just days before November begins, more than 42 million Americans could wake up without food assistance if the federal government fails to act.
The prolonged shutdown is set to suspend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on Nov. 1, halting benefits that low-income families rely on to put food on the table.
The USDA has confirmed that no new benefits will be issued November 1, leaving people uncertain about how to feed their families — and whether they’ll ever receive those missed payments retroactively.
George Washington University 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.
Priya Fielding-Singh is the director of Policy and Programs at the Global Food Institute, where she leads domestic policy, programming, and engagement initiatives. A trained social scientist, her expertise is in food and nutrition equity, maternal and child health, and public policy.
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