Republican Hollie Noveletsky has a message for Granite State Democrats who support the government shutdown that’s cutting off food aid for low-income families: Put your money where your politics are.
Noveletsky, who is running for the GOP nomination in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, announced Wednesday she’s holding a food drive to help feed families losing federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to Senate Democrats’ filibuster blocking government funding.
“My entire life, I have tried to not just complain when there is a problem, but to take action and work to resolve the problem. Granite Staters are some of the kindest and most charitable people out there, and we step up for each other. I am hopeful that our work on Friday will be of great help to those who need it,” Noveletsky said in a statement.
As the government shutdown approaches the one-month mark, New Hampshire is scrambling to provide food aid to the more than 42,000 households currently enrolled in the program. Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s administration recently announced that the state will team up with the New Hampshire Food Bank “to increase SNAP recipients’ access to food through the Food Bank’s mobile food pantry program and traditional food pantries located across the state.”
The Union Leader reports the Executive Council on Wednesday unanimously approved spending $2 million of the state’s Medicaid Enhancement Tax surplus to set up mobile pantries to help people who rely on SNAP benefits.
Noveletsky’s food drive aims to collect food and cash for the Food Bank to help mitigate the impact of the shutdown. And, she said, Democrats who created the problem have a special duty to step up and help solve it.
“I am calling on Maura Sullivan, Stefany Shaheen, and New Hampshire’s federal delegation members to join me in this effort on Friday,” she said.
The four members of the state’s all-Democratic delegation have voted against the continuing resolution that would keep the government funded until Nov. 17 at current levels — levels that go back to the last budget under President Joe Biden.
The “clean CR,” as it’s called, passed the House (over the votes of Reps. Maggie Goodlander and Chris Pappas) and has majority support in the U.S. Senate. But a majority of Democrats, including Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen, are supporting a filibuster to block the CR from reaching the floor for an up-or-down vote. They are demanding that Republicans agree to fund COVID-era “emergency” subsidies for the Affordable Care Act that go to households earning more than 400 percent of the poverty level.
A social media post from the New Hampshire Democratic Party claimed that because Republicans control Congress and the White House, the GOP is responsible for the shutdown. Asked how the GOP can overcome the Senate Democrats’ filibuster without 60 votes, the state party declined to respond.
The same with Pappas, who hopes to replace outgoing Sen. Shaheen. On Wednesday, he repeated his call for the GOP-controlled House to go back into session to address the consequences of the shutdown. Asked to explain his vote in support of the shutdown or how the House could overcome the Senate filibuster, Pappas declined to respond.
But more and more Democrats are acknowledging their party is responsible for blocking government funding.
“Frankly, this is our only moment of leverage, and although a very unpleasant tool to use,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), said of the shutdown.
In New Hampshire, House Deputy Minority Leader Laura Telerski released a statement urging Ayotte to “remind her Republican friends in Washington they need to count votes and understand they need to bring Democrats to the table to negotiate an end to the shutdown.”
And Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who has repeatedly voted in favor of reopening the government, is calling on his colleagues such as Hassan and Shaheen to do the same.
“As a committed Democrat, I’m dismayed my party is playing chicken with the food security of 42 million Americans. I reject a political gamble that exposes a vulnerable constituency to widespread deprivation and chaos.”
Even left-leaning CNN is challenging Democrats’ denials of responsibility.
“This is also a choice by Senate Democrats to not… vote to open the government,” CNN’s Jake Tapper told a New Mexico congresswoman. “Yes, it is. I understand why they’re doing it. They’re doing it because they want Medicaid funds restored. They’re doing it because they want Obamacare premiums extended past the end of the year.”
NHJournal asked all of the Democrats running in the NH-01 primary if they continue to support the shutdown and whether they agree that, by doing so, they have a duty to support the New Hampshire Food Bank and its efforts to feed SNAP recipients.
None of the five — Carleigh Beriont, Sarah Chadzynski, state Rep. Heath Howard, Stefany Shaheen, or Maura Sullivan — responded to the questions.
The food drive will be held Friday, Oct. 31, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Noveletsky’s business, Novel Iron Works, in Greenland.
“Unfortunately, almost all elected Democrats so far have shown no interest in paying our troops or helping the American people during this shutdown,” Noveletsky said. “Instead, they’ve made it clear they would rather fight to reinstate taxpayer-funded illegal immigrant health care and billions of dollars in wasteful spending on liberal priorities.”
