Rep. Jarrells: Despite Democrats Constant Demands, Ohio Republicans Wait for the Last Minute to Provide Only Minor Relief to Ohioans Under SNAP
COLUMBUS — State Rep. Dontavius L. Jarrells (D-Columbus) today released the following statement after Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order directing the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) giving $7M though the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to various Ohio food banks and up to $18M in funds to Ohioans who are at or below 50% of the federal poverty level who already qualify for Ohio Works First (OWF) cash assistance. While 63,000 of the 1.4 million Ohioans on SNAP may be provided some relief due to this effort, excluding 529,000 children who are currently on SNAP, the $18M in emergency funds does not go far enough to support those living just at the federal poverty level. For example, a family of four making roughly $17,000/year or more will not be eligible for this benefit. While a small step in the right direction, this insufficient allocation of funds is hardly enough to address the urgency of this crisis in the state.
“I am glad to see the governor take action. It means our collective voices are being heard, the voices of families, advocates, and legislators demanding that Ohio stand up for those struggling to put food on the table. But this is only the beginning. The need is vast, and the resources released today will barely reach those who are hurting most. We cannot settle for partial relief when hundreds of thousands of Ohio children are at risk of going hungry. Until every family can eat without fear of losing their next meal, our work is not done,” said Rep. Jarrells.
Due to federal shutdown and failure to allocate funds for SNAP, on November 1st hundreds of millions of dollars will not be allocated to the SNAP benefit cards that 1.4 million Ohioans depend upon.
House Democrats raised the urgent issue of the SNAP funding crisis on the House floor earlier this week via an amendment that would provide full relief for Ohioans under SNAP. House Republicans voted down the proposed amendment, stating that SNAP benefit funding is not an Ohio issue. Overall, the federal shutdown will cost Ohioans a benefit loss of roughly $200M per month, nearly eight times the amount of funding provided by the Governor’s executive order.
As House Democrats noted in their letter to the Governor earlier this week, the state of Ohio currently has resources available via several funds to immediately and fully address the issue. It is a question of will power, not ability, regarding whether the state ensure seniors, families and children have food on their tables come November.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The letter signed Tuesday by all 34 members of the House Democratic Caucus is attached to this release.