MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County leaders voted Thursday to adopt a resolution to reallocate $150,000 to provide food assistance to those affected by the ongoing federal government shutdown.
The funds will be reallocated to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services from the county’s contingency fund for emergency supplemental food assistance in response to SNAP reductions, according to a meeting agenda.
The board also voted to pass a resolution to declare food apartheid a public health emergency in Milwaukee County and to direct action to address food insecurity.
The vote comes as county leaders say 700,000 Wisconsinites rely on SNAP, known as FoodShare in Wisconsin, to put food on the table for their families and children, with more than 230,000 residing in Milwaukee County alone.
Watch: MKE leaders vote to reallocate $150,000 for food aid amid federal shutdown
Thursday’s meeting comes as the shutdown enters its 37th day, with Democrats and Republicans continuing to be at odds over health care tax credits.
The shutdown is the longest on record and continues to impact various government services, including TSA operations, air traffic control, driver’s license renewals and passport processing.
Meanwhile, the federal government reaffirmed this week that it will tap into contingency funds to partially support SNAP benefits for November for the more than 40 million Americans who rely on it each month for assistance, after being ordered by the courts to do so.
The partial payments, though, could take “several weeks” to make it to people’s accounts, according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. However, according to new analysis, some families receiving assistance make too much money to receive the partial benefits.
As the uncertainty around federal food assistance continues, TMJ4 has provided a list of resources for those affected by the ongoing shutdown.
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