House Speaker Mike Johnson just said the quiet part out loud: Republicans see SNAP benefits as nothing more than political leverage in their government shutdown. Donald Trump has the power to ensure that working families don’t go hungry when SNAP benefits are ripped away from 42 million Americans on November 1st — but he and his Republican loyalists in Congress would keep the government shut down so they can double health care premiums for 22 million Americans.

In response, DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement: 

“Mike Johnson just admitted the disgraceful truth: Republicans see no problem letting working families go hungry as long as it scores them political points. This is a new low in the Republican crusade to keep the government shut down, protect their billionaire tax cuts, and avoid fixing skyrocketing health insurance costs. 

“And this is personal for me. Growing up, my family relied on SNAP to get through tough economic times, so I know this isn’t a game. Losing a basic lifeline like food while the rich get richer than ever under Trump is a terrifying and unfair reality. Because of Republicans, working families will be forced to choose between paying for groceries or rent, utility bills or medicine, gas or clothes for their kids. Here’s my message for Mike Johnson: Hungry children and families don’t care who’s ‘winning’ the shutdown fight — they care about putting food on the table. 

“While Democrats have been showing up to work for months to keep the government open and make life more affordable, Donald Trump has utterly failed the American family every step of the way. Frankly, if Trump cared even half as much about working Americans as he does his fancy, corporate-bought ballroom, we wouldn’t be in this crisis. Republicans must put an end to these craven attempts to take away people’s health care and food assistance, and join Democrats in reopening the government and lowering costs.”

With November 1st right around the corner and millions of Americans’ health care and food assistance on the chopping block, Trump STILL refuses to join Democrats on a common-sense proposal that reopens the government and lowers health care costs. Instead, he has worked to send a $40 billion bailout to Argentina, demanded $230 million in taxpayer funds as payment for his criminal investigations, demolished the East Wing, and hosted his billionaire friends at the White House for his $350 million ballroom remodel. It’s clear who Trump works for, and it’s not the American people.