While distributing meals at St. Athanasius Church in Mountain View Oct. 25, Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-San Jose, saw a line longer than had been seen in many months by staffers.
The disconcerting sight could become more prevalent as the federal government shutdown stretches to over a month, prompting Liccardo to host a town hall at Foothill College Smithwick Theater on Thursday to discuss the issues in Washington, D.C., people not receiving SNAP benefits and all the implications of a continued shutdown.
“There was a line around the block that was reminiscent of what they saw during the pandemic,” Liccardo said of his church visit. “So, people are struggling. Combined with federal employees in the area who aren’t getting paychecks, we’ve got a lot of folks in need.”
While Liccardo declined to prognosticate on the likelihood of a deal, he did note there was no pathway forward to end the shutdown until Speaker Mike Johnson was actually willing to negotiate, noting there has been only one vote on the budget and little negotiation.
“First, in every shutdown previously, Congress stayed in session,” Liccardo said. “We had leadership in the House and the Senate that had us back in Washington, D.C., negotiating. I’ve been back in Washington now three out of the last four weeks, more than 200 Democratic colleagues, with nobody to negotiate with on the other side.”
Nearly 40,000 residents in Liccardo’s district rely on SNAP benefits and are at risk of slowdowns in November that could affect access to food, while Democrats are pushing for an extension of the pandemic-era Affordable Care Act tax credits designed to help reduce the costs of health insurance, which are expected to increase significantly this month for at least 28,000 residents in the district.
“It’s already too expensive to live in the Bay Area: housing, groceries, health costs,” Liccardo said. “Now to see health increases; in some cases, premiums will double.”
Federal employees in the Bay Area are also having to deal with not getting paychecks for the past month. Paul Kvamme, an air traffic controller at San Jose International Airport, is classified as an essential worker and must work during the shutdown despite not getting paid. He and other controllers feel helpless amid the uncertainty about when the next paycheck will arrive. Kvamme attended the town hall to ask when and how the shutdown would end, urging Liccardo to call on his colleagues to end the partisan infighting and vote for any bill that ends the shutdown, which has disrupted people’s lives.
“I have a coworker who is a new father who just had a baby, just went out on paternity leave, and I don’t know what he’s feeling, but I’m sure it’s not great right now, trying to provide for this new human being,” Kvamme said.
Liccardo said he couldn’t vote for a bill just because one was presented, especially if it would harm Americans across the country who needed food and health care relief.
“You have to understand, we can’t throw tens of millions of Americans under the bus because some people believe you can use cruelty as a lever,” Liccardo said. “We are seeing it now, obviously, with SNAP benefits.”
As of Tuesday, the shutdown is on day 35 and remains in effect.
