Congresswoman Gwen Moore Applauds Approval of Governor Evers Request to Allow Online FoodShare Purchases Following Request from Wisconsin Delegation
Press Release
Today, Congresswoman Moore announced that Wisconsin has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to utilize online purchasing through SNAP. Congresswoman Moore supported a letter with Senator Tammy Baldwin, along with Congressmen Pocan and Kind, which calls for an expanded SNAP program and greater flexibility using benefits, including online purchasing. In response, Congresswoman Moore released the following statement:
"I have called on the USDA to take steps to help address rising food insecurity in our communities that are overwhelming food banks. The most important step we can take is to strengthen SNAP including increasing the benefit amounts, increasing the minimum benefits, eliminating burdensome work requirements and administrative proposals that weaken the program and stand to cut millions off, and supporting online purchases to guarantee more Wisconsinites can keep food on the table. These efforts are critical to ensuring our safety net programs are adjusting to our present public health and economic crisis.
I am so pleased that Wisconsinites will have the flexibility to use their SNAP benefits to purchase food online. This is something my constituents have been calling for. One individual, who because of a chronic respiratory disease is at high risk, noted that because they did not have a car, "in order to buy food [they] have to risk taking the bus and going into a store with people who might be infected."
Through these efforts, we can protect those who are most at-risk during the COVID-19 pandemic: seniors, home-bound residents, and individuals with disabilities.
My efforts to support SNAP will continue. Families have enough to worry about. Keeping food in their fridge should not be one of the stressors keeping them up at night."
SNAP's online purchasing pilot program does not cover delivery-related fees for online food purchases.
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