Our View: Welcome To The Bread Line

As of this writing, there was no end in sight for the political stalemate that has paralyzed Washington, D.C. since Oct. 1. And if the government shutdown continues past Friday, many more hungry people will be turning to local food pantries.

 That’s the date when funding will be suspended for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. That means that 25,000 or more people on Cape Cod will suddenly find themselves without the means to put nutritious food on the table. Many of these folks have never before relied on the Lower Cape’s many food pantries, and they’ll likely need to do so for the first time.

 On Saturday, a day after SNAP could be de-funded, open enrollment begins for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, and that’s when many people will start seeing higher prices for their 2026 insurance plans, thanks to a Republican plan to let subsidies expire at the end of the year. Democrats have declined to pass a continuing resolution that would keep the government running for fear they’ll lose leverage in the bid to extend those health insurance subsidies. It’s a political setup that pits the fundamental human need for health care against the even more basic need for food.

 How or when this impasse ends is anyone’s guess. But it’s clear that our local food banks are going to need a surge of donations if they have any hope of meeting the potential demand coming their way. If you can give, please do so. Your neighbors may be depending on you.