Rep DeSaulnier Statement on Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Vote to Fund CalFresh

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) made the following statement upon the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors’ unanimous passage of a measure to proclaim a local emergency caused by the disruption of funding for CalFresh food assistance benefits and allocate up to $21,000,000 for CalFresh to benefit eligible households for the month of November.

“As President Trump uses hunger as a political tool to hurt the American people by illegally withholding previously allocated SNAP funding, I am pleased our community has stepped up and voted to provide funds that will help keep tens of thousands of members of our community from going hungry this month. Once again, the Bay Area leads with compassion and logic.

Throughout the shutdown, I have engaged with community partners, advocates, and organizations on the issue of hunger to highlight how Republicans’ reckless shutdown is affecting our community. I have also joined my colleagues in urging the Agriculture Department to use the authority and money it has to continue SNAP payments during a shutdown and help prevent 42 million people across the country from going hungry.

I continue to call on my Republican colleagues and the Trump Administration to work with Democrats to end this government shutdown, and in the interim to release the more than $5.5 billion in contingency funds for food assistance, as is required by law.”

Editors Note

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Speaks

At the Board of Supervisor meeting, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier spoke during public comments and was given approximately 16 minutes (see video) to provide an update of what was going on in Washington — and at one point called the people making the decisions “sociopaths” while dropping a Soprano’s reference.

He noted that his District is the 5th wealthiest in the Country but with 700,000 residents, 100,000 people are on SNAP benefits and said they were shifting revenues from “prevention” to “crisis” and its not a good fiscal model and will cause more strain on the health system in the future.

When asked by Supervisor Ken Carlson if the county could potentially be reimbursed through congressional action, DeSaulnier said he couldn’t guarantee it, but said he believed at some point the county could be reimbursed.

Meanwhile, Supervisor Diane Burgis asked DeSaulnier about other crisis such as Covered California and healthcare and what else could come and what they should consider given today’s action was only a band aid for the next 4-weeks.

He urged Contra Costa County to keep what services it has in place for as long as possible and allow congress to fix the issues, but noted “you are on your own with this administration and current leadership”.

Previous

• Nov 4 – Contra Costa County Agrees to Issue Grocery Debit Cards for 107,000 CalFresh Recipients
• Nov 3 – $21 Million: Contra Costa County Could Issue Grocery Debit Cards to 107,000 CalFresh Recipients
• Nov 1 – Contra Costa County Set to Support Residents Whose Food Benefits are Being Cut