Statement of CSPI Legislative Affairs Director Philip Kahn-Pauli

Last-minute complaints from President-elect Trump and Elon Musk have led House Speaker Mike Johnson to abandon his original bipartisan stopgap bill to fund the government through March 2025, setting up a possible government shutdown. After a failed suspension vote last night, Johnson is scrambling to find some way out of this mess before the holidays. Johnson’s next proposal would take money away from families with lower incomes, scrapping a critical provision that replaced SNAP benefits for people whose benefits were stolen via card skimming, a form of electronic theft.  

The looming government shutdown also threatens food safety efforts at the Food and Drug Administration’s Human Foods Program, reducing the program to only emergency inspections and furloughing staff. Longer-term work to reduce chronic, diet-related disease, review food chemical safety, and prevent foodborne illness would be halted. 

The FDA itself stated, “In the event of a lapse in appropriations, FDA's ability to protect public health and safety would be significantly impacted, with many activities delayed or paused.” 

It’s time for Republicans in the House to drop their embarrassing fealty to a President who is not yet inaugurated and unelected billionaires like Elon Musk and get on with the business of governing. 

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