1. United States
2. Letter

Millions of Americans are already feeling the effects of the government shutdown, and now even food assistance is running dry. SNAP is nearly out of funds while six billion dollars that could prevent this crisis sits untouched. Congress set aside that money to make sure families could eat during a shutdown. Yet your administration has chosen not to release it. The result is that children, seniors, veterans, and working parents nationwide are being used as pawns in a political standoff. At the same time, Washington has found billions to fund projects and protect power. Your administration sent twenty billion dollars to support your close ally, Argentina’s far-right president Javier Milei, while taxpayers still cover security costs at your international properties. We’ll also pay for security, staffing, and upkeep on your 230 million dollar White House ballroom. Money moves easily when it benefits the powerful, but not when it could help Americans afford food. You have often said your priority is putting America first. But what does that mean if Americans go hungry while public money and attention flow to personal projects and foreign allies? Every day that SNAP remains frozen, real families are forced to skip meals, seniors go without, and children show up to school hungry. Mr. President, hunger should never be used as leverage. Please direct the USDA to release SNAP’s emergency reserves immediately, work with Congress to end the shutdown, and make sure federal resources are used for the people who need them most, not for politics or prestige. The measure of leadership is not in the marble floors or the gold trim of the White House. It is in whether the people you serve can eat, work, and live with dignity.