DELAWARE — Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D) criticized the Trump administration for halting scheduled shipments of food aid and funding through the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program, warning that the Food Bank of Delaware faces a shortage of over 600,000 meals as a result.
“Across the country, food banks are facing an urgent crisis, and Delaware is no exception,” McBride said on the House floor. “Millions of dollars worth of deliveries of vital food aid have been halted to food banks.”
McBride claims that more than 50 percent of the food distributed by the Food Bank of Delaware in February came through the USDA. With shipments now frozen and no clarity on their restoration, the Congresswoman says the food bank is uncertain if it will receive 14 truckloads over the next four months. If they are not restored Congresswoman McBride says the halted deliveries would represent more than 25 percent of the USDA’s expected shipments for the remainder of the fiscal year.
“This is not an abstract or partisan issue,” McBride said. “This is about families — working parents, seniors, veterans, and children — who rely on food banks to get through the month. One in eight Delawareans face food insecurity, and the Food Bank of Delaware has been a lifeline for thousands of families.”
McBride warned that the loss of federal support puts additional strain on already stretched food banks, jeopardizing their ability to serve effectively. She also criticized the administration for cutting the USDA’s Local Food Purchasing Assistance program, which provided schools and food banks with assistance to buy food from local farms and ranchers. McBride noted that these cuts will result in a loss of $2 million in Delaware alone.
“Just last month, I raised the alarm about $10 million in funding owed to Delaware’s farmers. Now, I stand here again to raise alarm about the Trump administration taking their chainsaw to another life-saving service that supports our farmers in feeding Delaware,” McBride said.
McBride called on the USDA to restore the halted shipments and funding, emphasizing the potentially dire consequences for families across Delaware.