Schrier visit highlights impacts to food banks as continued government shutdown threatens SNAP benefits

WENATCHEE — U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier met with employees of the Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council on Tuesday during a visit to Wenatchee as the federal government shutdown continues.

A year-and-a-half ago, Schrier, the fourth-term congressmember for Washington's 8th District, was cutting the ribbon on the nonprofit’s new facility at 1700 N. Wenatchee Ave. During this visit, the discussion centered around the impact to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, are facing a lapse of federal funding come Nov. 1 if the shutdown lingers into next month. If that happens, CDCAC Director Alan Walker said it will affect 12,000 people in Chelan and Douglas counties, which could double the need for the nonprofit’s services overnight.

“When Covid hit and a lot of people lost their jobs, we saw a huge increase in people visiting pantries,” Walker said. “And I anticipate it would be a similar type of influx.”

Walker said the nonprofit helps support, promote and sign people up for SNAP, but the program isn’t run through the Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council. SNAP participants get their food from grocery stores.

“It's hitting on a couple of fronts,” Walker said. “Obviously the biggest hit is to the families that aren't able to access that. But the other side of that is, the local grocers that aren't going to be gaining that business as well.”

As Schrier describes it, SNAP is the “first step” and is one that supports the local economy through business at grocery stores. When public programs fail, she said, that’s when food banks start to see the strain.

“Food banks are supposed to be the backup,” Schrier said.

For the last month, the nonprofit has already seen increased need after the public-assistance nonprofit Serve Wenatchee Valley experienced a total loss of their food supply due to a broken waterline. Walker said they saw an immediate increase in the number of people coming to their pantry.

Come Nov. 1, Walker is anticipating another big surge in people coming through their doors.

“There's only so much food in the system that we get from food that we purchase and then federal and state food assistance,” Walker said. “But, that's what we're preparing for– is just a spike in the number of people.”

The first of November is a significant date for another reason: It is the first day of open enrollment for health insurance.

At the center of the government shutdown are Enhanced Premium Tax Credits, which help make insurance more affordable for people who purchase coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplace exchange.

“If people choose to roll the dice and say, ‘I can't even afford health insurance this year with everything else costing so much,’ they will lose their health insurance,” Schrier said. “It will partially collapse our health care system. It will leave us poorer and sicker and them vulnerable, and they won't have a chance again to sign up for health insurance for another year. And so, you cannot kick this can down the road.”

Last week, the office of U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell released a county-by-county snapshot of how premiums will rise without the tax credits.

According to the report, premiums in Chelan, Douglas and Grant Counties will more than double. The data, sourced from the Washington Benefit Health Exchange, shows premiums will rise 110% in Chelan County, 114% in Douglas County and 118% in Grant County.

“This is a situation where Republicans control the White House, the House and Senate, and it's on them to fund this government and get these SNAP benefits and WIC benefits, all these other benefits (to recipients), and federal workers paid and the government functioning the way it should,” Schrier said.

“What we're fighting for is health care. And in a 50/50 essentially election, parties need to come together. And that's what we're asking. Seat at the table. Help people afford their health care. Don't collapse our health care system and make this government work. We'll do it together.”

In addition to her visit to the Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council, Schrier also stopped by the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research Center to hear about issues facing the state’s agricultural sectors. Additionally, she got a tour of its newly renovated lab and saw plans for its new plant growth facility.