Struggling families in our state are about to see a massive spike in food insecurity. As the government shutdown continues, 1.4 million Michiganders risk losing critical food support from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

But this doesn’t have to happen. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has $6 billion in contingency funds which could be used to keep SNAP running as Congress struggles to pass a budget. Instead of using these funds, under the direction of the White House, the USDA has ordered the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to not issue payments, leaving nearly one in four Michigan children at risk of going hungry.