MAZON Welcomes Passage of Stopgap Funding Bill, Warns Against Further Attempts to Cut Food Support

November 16, 2023

Back

Today, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger praised the U.S. House and Senate for passing a stopgap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown, which would have prevented millions of Americans from receiving life-saving food assistance. At the same time, MAZON urged Congress to redouble efforts to strengthen and improve federal anti-hunger programs despite calls by some legislators to weaken them.

“Today’s passage of the stopgap funding bill ensures that millions of Americans can continue to access life-saving government support through programs like SNAP and WIC — this was a no-brainer,” said Abby J. Leibman, MAZON’s President and CEO. “Irresponsible gamesmanship by the majority party in the House once again brought us to the brink of disaster. It is appalling that there are over 44 million Americans currently facing food insecurity, and many House Republicans are still trying to cut them from assistance, blame them for their circumstances, and use them as political bargaining chips.

“Clearly, these are times that require real leadership by our Congress and leadership that is guided by the values and history of the United States, that makes it clear: our government has a responsibility to respond to the needs of the vulnerable without judgment or delay.

“Even as vital government programs continue, WIC faces a shortfall that will create a waitlist for the first time in a generation, cutting off access to WIC for an estimated 600,000 parents and young children. Supplemental funding for WIC is urgently needed and it cannot wait. MAZON demands that both political parties return to their historic partnership in not only protecting federal safety net programs, but strengthening them and ensuring they’re accessible to all those in need.

“Fighting hunger should be a nonpartisan priority of long-term government funding negotiations and reauthorization of the Farm Bill, which has been kicked down the road for another year as part of this agreement. Programs like SNAP, WIC, and the child tax credit prove time and again to be critical and effective tools against hunger and poverty.”

Stay up to date on our news.
Subscribe to our Newsletter.

News & Events

All News

Historic Cuts to SNAP Deepen the War on Women (Ms. Magazine)

The last few months in Washington, D.C., have been consumed with political theatrics around the budget reconciliation process. Republicans in the House and Senate scrambled to pass legislation that will cut $184 billion from SNAP through 2034—by far the largest cut to SNAP in the program’s history—to finance tax cuts for the wealthy big businesses. They also hope to increase funding for pursuit of immigrants. Read more.

House Ag Dems: OBBBA will allow states to end SNAP (The Fence Post)

States will be allowed to opt out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program if state officials decide they cannot or will not pay the increased cost share under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Democratic members of the House Agriculture Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee repeatedly pointed out at a hearing today. The three witnesses all agreed. Read more.

Partnering with MAZON: Fighting Hunger and Nourishing the Jewish Soul (TC Jewfolk)

TC Jewfolk is proud to partner with MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger – a national organization inspired by Jewish values – to fight to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel.

“We need committed advocates who do the work to move legislation aimed at ending hunger forward, as well as to fight harmful policies that would erode the safety net that enables so many people to put food on the table,” Haviv explained. “That work must happen at every level, and we are committed to a strong effort in statehouses nationwide.” Read more.