Copyright The New York Times
When Irene Edwards of Anchorage learned that she likely wouldn’t get all of her November food stamp benefits, she stocked up on staples like big bags of rice and dried beans. Though Ms. Edwards, 30, does not have children, she provides child care in her home, feeding two boys and a toddler on a federal benefit meant for one adult. Once Nov. 1 arrived without the funds, Ms. Edwards started eating less and skipped the large box of electrolyte drink mixes she normally bought to help with health conditions that include anemia. In October, she said, “I just started rationing halfway through the month.” For several weeks, more than 40 million Americans have been facing uncertainty about whether the government shutdown would cut off their federal food assistance through the SNAP program. Those worries have been especially sharp for residents of Alaska and Hawaii, the two states with the highest food costs in the nation. Many states, including Hawaii, have taken steps to help SNAP recipients by tapping into state funds or shifting money around to make up for the cutoff, at least temporarily. But concerns about the long term deepened over the weekend after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to withhold funding for SNAP, and after President Trump directed states to “undo” any efforts to provide full benefits. According to the most recent report by the USDA, the agency that administers SNAP, a “thrifty” household of four could eat on $999.50 a month in the 48 contiguous states. But the cost is nearly 28 percent higher in Alaska, and nearly 51 higher in Hawaii, the August report said. Prices can vary widely at supermarkets, but at one store in Honolulu, a gallon of milk was $9.19. Food is more expensive in those states largely because it costs more to bring it there. Gov. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska has said that the state imports 95 percent of its food from other places, much of it coming to the Anchorage Port of Alaska by barge a few times a week. New tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada add to these costs. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
