Senator Dora Drake (D) Wisconsin
By Senator Dora Drake
As the federal government shutdown drags on, its consequences are not just a matter of politics—they are a matter of survival for thousands of Wisconsin families. What started as a debate around making healthcare more affordable by permanently extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies has rippled over to additional programs meant to support struggling families. Last week, the Trump Administration notified the state that November funds for FoodShare (SNAP) recipients will not be distributed for the month of November. These ripple effects will impact our most vulnerable neighbors the hardest, threatening food security and financial stability. This is beyond unacceptable.
Wisconsin’s FoodShare program is 100% federally funded and is a vital lifeline. If the shutdown is not resolved, recipients will need to use their remaining October funds to stock up on food now for November. There is even a chance that recipients may find their QUEST cards empty, even if funds were left over, because the federal government will stop paying the vendor. Imagine being a parent, unsure whether you can feed your children, not because of personal mismanagement, but due to political gridlock in Washington. This is the impact the Trump Administration has chosen, and this is the fight that we are up against right now. But we cannot idly stand by; we must come together and support each other as a community.
If you or someone you know is a FoodShare recipient, they need to OPT-IN to phone and text updates from the Department of Health Services on ACCESS.wi.gov. Anyone who needs additional food or infant formula for their house or family can reach out to 211 for information and referrals to local services by:
- Dialing 211 or 877-947-2211.
- Texting their ZIP code to 898211 or
- Visiting their website at 211wisconsin.communityos.org. Through the website, people can search for services or chat with someone online who can help.
Both Feeding America, Hunger Task Force, churches, and networks of food pantries across the county are also available for you to access food to feed yourself and your families. You can find these on my website at linktr.ee/sen.drake.
This looming crisis is compounded by the uncertainty surrounding access to Medicaid, BadgerCare Plus, and WIC. While WIC benefits are currently available, there’s no guarantee they will continue if this shutdown persists. Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus members will still have coverage. This does not include the ramifications that Trump and Republicans’ “Big Ugly Bill” will have on those receiving public benefits and their eligibility. Our Department of Health Services is still scrambling to make adjustments to keep remaining federal dollars for food share and create processes that streamline eligibility for Wisconsinites, so they don’t suddenly lose their benefits, given the sudden federal changes to increase the amount of paperwork.
President Trump is also not being truthful in other ways that he can keep FoodShare funding through November. According to a letter recently sent by Senator Tammy Baldwin to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary, following their claim that they had limited funding. They wrote, “USDA has several tools available which would enable SNAP benefits to be paid through or close to the end of November. First, the USDA must, at a minimum, under the law, use the contingency funding that is available for SNAP, as noted by USDA officials. Second, the USDA has interchange authority under 7 U.S.C. 2257 that permits the transfer of funds from other USDA nutrition programs. In fact, the USDA recently used this authority when it transferred money from child nutrition programs to the WIC account to maintain WIC benefits during the shutdown. In the event that more resources are needed than what is available in contingency funding, the USDA should explore all legal means to augment funds to pay the full amount of SNAP benefits in November.”
We are in this shutdown because Congressional Republicans and President Trump have refused to negotiate with Democrats on healthcare. Right now, the Affordable Care Act subsidies are expiring at the end of the year, and this administration is now playing politics with struggling families’ access to food. As of now, when the Health Insurance Marketplace opens on November 1st and you sign up for healthcare, you will see your monthly premiums rise by an average of 75%. Even if you get your health insurance from your employer instead of the marketplace, you also might get a notice on this increase. BadgerCare recipients will not be affected right away, but Trump’s new excessive bureaucratic paperwork requirements from his Big Ugly Bill will be in effect after the 2026 elections.
I urge everyone to take action now! Contact your members of Congress and demand an end to this shutdown. Go to www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member to find your representative’s contact information and urge them to prioritize the well-being of their constituents, extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, and fund the government. This situation is more than a political stalemate; it’s a humanitarian crisis unfolding in our communities. Let’s raise our voices, support one another, and demand that our leaders do their jobs—because no family in Wisconsin should go hungry or lose their healthcare because of political dysfunction.