15 Republican Governors Refuse Federal Program to Feed 8 Million Needy Kids

The View’s Joy Behar put the governors of fifteen Republican states on blast for their decision to opt-out of President Biden’s food-assistance program directed at the needy families of 8 million children.

“Fifteen of the Republican state governors currently opted out of a food assistance program that will leave 8 million needy children hungry,” said an outraged Behar. “That is what Republicans are doing right now.”

The program, known as the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (or Summer EBT), will provide $120 to families per eligible child. The funds can be used to purchase food at grocery stores, farmers’ markets, or approved retailers.

The United States’ Department of Agriculture announced that 35 states, all five U.S. territories, and four tribal nations had signed up for Summer EBT, which will provide $2.5 billion in federal funds for approximately 21 million eligible children.

In contrast, 15 states—all led by Republican governors—opted out of the program, preventing 8 million eligible children from receiving its benefits.

Those states include Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont and Wyoming.

Food insecurity rose noticeably in 2022 after 50 Senate Republicans and Joe Manchin allowed President Biden’s enhanced Child Tax Credit to sunset. 

Congressional Republicans have also targeted the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, also known as WIC—another major program intended to combat food insecurity for families and children—for budget cuts.

Republican officials, Behar noted, “don’t seem to care that 8 million children will be hungry!”