Rep. McDonald Rivet, Michigan Democrats Defend SNAP from Trump Administration’s Threatened Penalties

FLINT- Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) is leading Michigan Members of Congress in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins, defending hungry Michigan families following the USDA's threat to withhold SNAP funds from the State of Michigan.

"At every step, this White House has made it harder, not easier, to get SNAP funds to feed hungry families," said Congresswoman McDonald Rivet. "SNAP gives parents $6 per day to feed a child three square meals - something that's virtually impossible with rising grocery prices. The USDA's threatened penalties would hurt Michigan families and take more food off their tables for no reason other than spite."

On November 6, a U.S. District Court orderedthe Trump Administration to fully fund November SNAP benefits. The Trump Administration confirmedthey were preparing to comply with the order, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) began distributingfull benefits to Michigan families. However, the USDA later issued conflicting guidance, demanding states only administer partial payments and threatening to withhold funds from states which distributed full payments of November benefits.

The letter from the lawmakers reads, in part, "USDA's threat of penalties is unjust, detrimental, and its only effect will be to keep food from reaching hungry families in our communities. More than 1.4 million Michiganders rely on SNAP to put food on the table. State agencies, like the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, acted in good faith with the information they had from USDA to ensure families received the benefits they were entitled to under the law. Michigan taxpayers should not pay the price because the state government fulfilled its duty to feed families during an unprecedented period of legal and administrative uncertainty.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

Joining Congresswoman McDonald Rivet on the letter to Secretary Rollins are Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), and Shri Thanedar (MI-13).

Congresswoman McDonald Rivet has championed access to food assistance for families in Michigan and across the country:

• Recently, Congresswomen McDonald Rivet and Scholten led Michigan Democrats in calling on Secretary Rollins to use contingency funds to continue food assistancefor families in Michigan and across the country during the federal government shutdown.
• As a member of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture - which oversees the USDA as well as food assistance programs like SNAP - Congresswoman McDonald Rivet adamantly fought againstlegislation that slashed $200 billion from SNAPearlier this year.
• The Congresswoman recently signed on to a letterfrom 214 Members of Congress to Secretary Rollins demanding USDA utilize the SNAP contingency funds during the shutdown.