Tens of millions of Americans aren't sure whether they'll be able to put food on the table this month, due to Trump’s “maximum pain” shutdown strategy. If you have a Republican representative, please demand that Republicans re-open the government! And regardless of what district you live in, help gather food and other essentials for folks impacted in your community if you can.

Indivisibles,

Donald Trump is responsible for blocking SNAP benefits that help feed 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, from being released on time this month. Thankfully, a federal judge just ordered the regime to ensure benefits go out to the hungry families relying on them -- but we do not know if, when, or to what extent Trump will comply.

Trump and his MAGA footmen want us to believe that the lapse in SNAP assistance is an unavoidable result of the government shutdown, but that’s complete horsesh*t. The truth is, the Trump regime tried to deliberately withhold food from millions of families as a form of political leverage.

Here’s what you need to know:

• The federal government has a $5 billion emergency fund to cover SNAP, but the Trump regime has falsely claimed they can't use it, likely because they think millions of Americans going hungry gives them an upper hand in shutdown negotiations.
• Trump is finding shady ways to fund ICE and his $300 million ballroom even during the ongoing shutdown -- making his claim that his hands were tied when it comes to feeding families a lie so flagrant it’s insulting.
• Republicans voted NO on Democrats’ bill to fund SNAP during the shutdown because, again, Trump reportedly wants to put the American people through as much pain as possible until he gets his way.
• Due to Trump’s actions, November SNAP benefits will likely be delayed at least 1-2 weeks, and potentially reduced, even after a federal judge ordered assistance to be released. The Trump administration has until Monday, November 3, to state how they will respond.

And in case you’ve forgotten, Trump and Republicans are doing all this to try forcing through a budget that will cause insurance premiums to skyrocket for millions of Americans. John Fugelsang summed it up nicely…

Republicans could end the shutdown TODAY (or whenever House Republicans get their asses back to DC), but they’d rather see Americans suffer than address the healthcare crisis they created. Workers missing paychecks, families missing meals, and the countless other pains this shutdown causes are all part of their plan to make Democrats cave.

Trading short-term pain for long-term suffering is a false choice -- a lose-lose proposition that we won’t let Trump force on us. So here’s what we need to do:

Together, we can ensure our neighbors have food to eat, healthcare to rely on, and enough left in their budget to live with dignity. Thank you for staying in this fight with us.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team

P.S. We’re co-hosting a webinar on skyrocketing healthcare costs this Monday, November 3, at 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT. Sign up for “Over the Health Care Cliff” with Rep. Brendan Boyle to discuss Trump’s healthcare cost crisis and strategies to fight back.