MILWAUKEE -- Wisconsin's congressional Democrats are calling on Gov. Scott Walker to reverse his decision and accept a federal food stamp waiver, saying it would restore aid to thousands.
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Representatives Ron Kind, Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan have sent a letter to Governor Scott Walker calling on him to immediately restore food assistance to thousands of Wisconsinites by requesting and reinstating the federal waiver for 20 counties and 10 cities with high unemployment rates.
According to these elected officials, recent reports have concluded that poverty in Wisconsin has reached alarming levels and the highest rates in years in many parts of the state.
Currently, 20 counties and 10 cities in Wisconsin have unemployment levels that would allow them to qualify for an exemption waiver to the food assistance restrictions for certain low-income Wisconsinites.
For over a decade, Wisconsin—along with many other states—has instituted a federal waiver to exempt vulnerable individuals in areas of high unemployment from these time limits on food assistance eligibility. But Governor Walker has now decided to remove this exemption and force many vulnerable Wisconsinites to lose access to the food they need.
In the letter to Governor Walker, these elected officials wrote:
The Wisconsin members of Congress also questioned the effectiveness of the Walker Administration’s employment and training programs and asked Walker to continue working to fully implement all federal recommendations and corrective actions for the FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) program, writing:
According to these officials, reports indicate that over 30,000 Wisconsinites have been kicked off of the FoodShare program, including 16,560 in Milwaukee County, due to the decision to remove the waiver.
This has put a strain on Wisconsin food banks, which help those most in need avoid hunger and now face an increased demand that may jeopardize their food supply.
The Hunger Task Force, for example, already serves over 34,000 individuals each month in Milwaukee County. If these trends in FoodShare disenrollment continue, there could be a dramatic increase in the number people turning to Hunger Task Force for assistance.
In the letter to Governor Walker from Baldwin, Kind, Moore and Pocan, they said:
Walker responded, saying people who need help still have access to assistance through FoodShare. He defended the program's work requirement, which went into effect a year ago (April 1st, 2015), as a reasonable expectation for mentally and physically able adults who don't have children in their homes.
The Hunger Task Force has issued this statement:
CLICK HERE to read the letter to Governor Walker.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Wisconsin's FoodShare program.