The Tarrant County Democratic Party today issues a forceful statement condemning the loss or suspension of vital Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to federal and Presidential inaction. The Party stresses that the resulting food insecurity is a manufactured crisis with devastating local consequences for Tarrant County residents. While two federal judges have just ruled simultaneously that President Trump must fund this social safety net, it can takes days to weeks for these benefits to tangibly reach those that need them after such a disruption in normal operations.

To bring awareness to this critical and dire issue of grave importance, TCDP will be changing its logo color schemes in all published graphics until these benefits are fully funded and the benefits are realized by Tarrant County residents.

The loss of these benefits is not just a policy failure; it is a human tragedy unfolding in our community. Tarrant County Democrats are united in opposition to any budget cut or government shutdown that weaponizes food assistance programs against the most vulnerable citizens.

“Taking food off the table for children, seniors, and working families is a moral failure we cannot accept,” said Dr. Allison Campolo, the Chair of the Party. “The financial gap created by the loss of SNAP funding – millions of dollars in purchasing power daily in our service area – is nothing short of cataclysmic. No local food bank, nonprofit, or private charity can possibly make up for the federal government’s withdrawal of this essential safety net, no matter how temporary this interruption.”

“And let’s be clear, this safety net is only required because of other Republican-led manufactured crises: wages which are too low to live off of and exploding healthcare costs which mean any person in this country is one bad diagnosis or accident away from bankruptcy. When people make a living wage and when their healthcare needs are met, our communities and our economy thrive. They very intentionally put us in this situation of 42 million Americans depending on these benefits to live, and they very intentionally put us in this situation of a government shutdown without funding for food assistance programs while Republicans control all three branches of government. This is made even more obvious by the only potential relief coming from the courts instead of from the GOP-led Congress and White House.”

The Tarrant County Democratic Party views the protection of these programs as moral and economic imperatives. We demand that federal leaders take immediate and decisive action to restore full funding to SNAP in compliance with the rulings of the courts:

• Full Funding Now: We call on Congress to immediately end political gridlock, fully fund all federal nutrition programs and end this shut down without ceding ground on affordable healthcare funding.
• Protect Vulnerable Citizens: We stand in solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of Tarrant County residents who rely on this aid to feed their families and maintain basic stability.
• Support Local Partners: We will continue to support and elevate the work of the Tarrant Area Food Bank and other community partners who are struggling valiantly to address the rising tide of hunger in our area.

The Tarrant County Democratic Party remains steadfast in its commitment to building a county where every resident has guaranteed access to the nutritious food they need to thrive.

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Allison Campolo, Ph.D.
Tarrant County Democratic Party Chair
chair@tarrantdemocrats.org