OPINION/COLUMN
EDITORS NOTE: Rep. Roe’s Column was submitted Nov. 7, and may not reflect the most current developments regarding the federal government shutdown as the situation has continued to evolve this week.
As the federal government shutdown stretches on, Oklahomans are understandably anxious about what comes next. I’m hearing from many families worried about their SNAP benefits and wondering how long they’ll be able to count on that support. But as I write this, there’s more at stake than many realize.
The Federal Aviation Administration has now reduced air traffic by 10 percent at 40 major airports nationwide, which is right in time for the holidays. That’s roughly 3,500 to 4,000 flights a day that would be canceled or delayed.
Anyone who remembers the end of the last government shutdown knows this move signaled the nearing of a resolution. I hope that’s true again, because Americans have had enough of political brinkmanship.
Here at home, our Republican leaders are stepping up. The Oklahoma House Speaker, Senate President Pro Tem and Governor convened an emergency meeting of the Oklahoma Contingency Review Board to protect our most vulnerable residents.
The board declared a state of emergency and voted to make $1 million per week available to Oklahoma’s food banks for up to seven weeks. This ensures that every county in the state can continue serving families in need if federal funding for SNAP remains unavailable.
To put it in perspective, the monthly loss of federal SNAP funds to Oklahomans totals about $138 million.
Unfortunately, even if the state wanted to directly supplement SNAP cards, the system currently in place simply doesn’t allow it.
The technology used for EBT cards is federally controlled and cannot currently accept state deposits. But the good news is that those same Republican state leaders also voted to approve the funding to allow the Department of Human Services to work with our EBT vendor to fix that problem if the shutdown continues. It could take up to two weeks before that option is available.
Senator Markwayne Mullin’s office also shared an important update that the federal court has approved the use of contingency funds to pay for SNAP benefits.
Those funds come from a federal emergency account meant for natural disasters and are only a temporary fix.
The solution to this crisis is to reopen the government. President Trump has worked to protect Americans from the worst effects of the shutdown, but the longer Democrats refuse to act, the more harm they cause to working families, seniors and even travelers trying to get home for Christmas.
If just five Senate Democrats would join Republicans in voting to reopen the government, full SNAP funding could be restored, air traffic delays would be avoided and millions of Americans could get back to work and back to normal life.
Oklahomans deserve better than political games.
It’s time for Washington to remember who it works for and put Americans first by reopening the government now.
I care deeply about each of you and keep you in my prayers. I am grateful that I get to represent our great District 42.
I am here to listen to your concerns and answer any of your questions. My email address is cynthia.roe@okhouse.gov, or you can call my office at 405-557-7365.
Rep. Cynthia Roe, a Republican, represents House District 42 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Her district includes portions of Cleveland, Garvin and McClain counties.
