The fight between the administration of Governor Pennsylvania Joshem Shapiro and the US Department of Agriculture in connection with the cancellation of financing of food banks was escalated last week after the Secretary of USDA Brooke Rollins accused the governor of playing “political games” when he called the department to restore the agreement with a value of $ 13 million.
Last month, the Department of Agriculture in Pennsylvania lodged an administrative appeal, calling on USDA to re -consider the decision to cancel the contract, which would provide $ 13 million in the next three years for food banks in Pennsylvania for the purchase of food from local farmers. If the decision were not considered again, Shapiro warned, he would consider taking legal action.
Administration of President Donald Trump Plans were announced at the beginning of March to complete $ 470 million of the local food assistance program. While the program was established during the Covid-19 pandemic, it became a key source of financing for food banks in Pennsylvania-stood up to 18% of the budget for the purchase of food in Philabundance Philadelphia.
Food banks in Pennsylvania were worried that the decision would cause less and less nutritious meals, because the lack of food safety would enhance in the whole condition.
But While traveling to Pennsylvania on Monday, Rollins rejected the concern of cuts, arguing that Shapiro and others either had bad information, or they deliberately misled society.
She claimed that the money was sitting in state boxes, not offering details about where the money came from.
“Governor Shapiro, whom I properly respect, plays here in a few matches,” said Rollins from the dairy farm in Liban. “Since I moved to the head of USDA, we have published almost a billion dollars to food banks, to food programs throughout the country.”
“So it’s just not accurate. I think democrats play games,” she added.
On Thursday, the Secretary of Agriculture Shapiro, Russell Redding, rejected the letter explaining that Rollins had incorrect information.
Redding explained that the program is financed from reimbursement, which are delivered only after Pennsylvania has already sent funds to food banks throughout the state. Redding said that by the end of July Pennsylvania would still be issued and ask for a return according to previous contracts.
But the agreement, which in December agreed in December by the administration of President Joe Biden, provided an additional $ 13 million in the next three years. Redding said that Trump’s administration canceled this agreement based on the argument that the program no longer achieved USDA goals.
“Pennsylvania maintained the end of the opportunity. LFPA funds were used by food banks throughout the community to buy food directly from farmers in Pennsylvania, as part of the important goals of the program,” Redding wrote. “The LFPA program belongs directly as part of the basic USDA mission to strengthen American agriculture, giving farmers a new, reliable market market for their fresh food, while encouraging to consume healthy, local food by all Americans, regardless of income.”
Cuts the program appeared when food banks stated that they were dealing with the needs to have competition in the first days of Covid-19 and predict an enhance in hunger in the coming months.
George Matysik, executive director of the Share Food program, which supports the Philadelphia region, said in a statement on Friday that he appreciated Shapiro’s efforts to support the program.
“Hunger is not a game and there is nothing political in hundreds of thousands of children and families who are hungry in our state,” said Matysik, who was very critical of the cuts of Trump’s administration. “The difficult reality is that working Americans hurt more than ever, and playing with reckless financing cuts and tariffs only increases the prevention of pain and food prices.”
