Springfield U.S Representative Richard Neal is calling on President Donald Trump to take action to preserve food assistance benefits, which are due to run out on Saturday if action is not taken.
As the federal government shutdown continues, funding is about to run out for the program known as SNAP. The president’s administration has so far refused to use emergency funding to continue the benefit.
Neal, a Democrat, said Wednesday, Trump should reverse course and that the solution is easy.
"And that's to get the President's signature on what has already been duly appropriated and authorized and it is the contingency plan for the nutrition programs," Neal said. "That can be done with just the presidential signature...it has already been passed into law."
Neal added that he believes SNAP funding is being used as a bargaining chip as the shutdown continues.
"If you contrast what he was proposing to do with Argentina with up to $40 billion in a currency swap, (it) strikes me with 40 million Americans running the risk of losing this benefit, that we could accommodate it with just a presidential signature."
Earlier this week, more than 20 states sued the Trump Administration, seeking to compel it to provide the funding.
During Asia tour, President “announcing solutions to problems he created.”
This week, President Trump has on a wide-ranging tour through Asia. During the trip, details were finalized for a trade deal with South Korea. And the president is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss trade. Both countries have been at odds of late with tariffs being imposed in both directions.
Neal said announcements on other trade deals during the Asia trip often had been “short on details.” He also took issue with Trump taking credit for reaching deals, when he caused issues in the first place through his hardline stance on tariffs.
“In his first term, he took these very hard positions, started to do it again earlier in this term only to find out the Chinese were not going to budge,” Neal said. “Trying to manage that relationship ought to be the better path instead of ordering them what to do.”
For the entire conversation with Neal, click on the audio link at the top of this story.
