Amid the federal government shutdown, residents of Milwaukee County are grappling with the impact on essential services like food banks, government health insurance, and federal housing assistance.
Local leaders are urgently calling on Congress for intervention, particularly as over 700,000 Wisconsinites risk losing access to food assistance payments. Around 230,000 of these individuals reside in Milwaukee County, according to County Executive David Crowley.
“Those are our neighbors. Those are our children and our loved ones who don’t know how they’re going to feed their families next month as we enter a new holiday season,” stated Crowley during a press conference at the NourishMKE Cherry Street Food Center.
The demand at local food centers has surged, as Valerie MacMillian of NourishMKE notes threefold increases in visits, many from first-time users. MacMillian emphasizes the broader issues facing residents and warns of impending challenges related to health care tax subsidies set to expire soon. “Your ability to access food should not depend on your politics,” she said.
The suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture due to the shutdown exacerbates the situation. In response, Gov. Tony Evers has urged USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to allocate discretionary funds to sustain the program, and Wisconsin has joined a multistate lawsuit to secure those funds.
A federal judge in Boston may soon rule on the allocation of billions in emergency funding for SNAP, a move that Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Moore highlighted during her visit to Milwaukee. However, Moore points out that even if $5 billion is released, it would only sustain SNAP until the third week of November.
Moore criticized the lack of action from President Trump, suggesting, “That same black Sharpie that the president used to hire those contractors to tear up the Rose Garden and the East Wing, that same Sharpie can go authorize the release of the $5 billion for SNAP.”
The political deadlock persists, with Democrats standing firm on extending pandemic-era Affordable Care Act tax credits, while Republicans argue these subsidies were never intended as permanent measures.
In the meantime, local initiatives are stepping up to fill the gap. A collaboration between the city, county, and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin led to a food drive, raising $22,000 to provide 90,000 meals. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson remarked, “So this community is stepping up. Milwaukee is stepping up in the face of this government shutdown. We still need the federal government to do their part.”
