Gov. Tony Evers today announced that Wisconsin’s FoodShare program, which helps provide groceries for children, families, and seniors in need, could run out of funding within 10 days due to the ongoing federal government shutdown in Washington, D.C.
The government recently informed Wisconsin officials that there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the nation and instructed states to hold their November issuance files and delay transmission to State EBT vendors until further notice. Because FoodShare is entirely federally funded, these directives put the program at serious risk. If the shutdown continues, nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites could lose access to essential food assistance next month. The Evers Administration is also monitoring funding levels for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which remains available to qualifying residents at this time.
Today’s announcement comes as the federal government shutdown, now in its 21st day, continues amid congressional gridlock over renewing Affordable Care Act tax credits. Those credits help millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites, afford healthcare coverage.
