A group of Republican Pennsylvania elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, are hosting a food drive in Lehigh County Saturday, as thousands of families in the region face hunger due to the suspension of SNAP food stamp benefits.
Mackenzie and Pennsylvania state representatives Ann Flood, Milou Mackenzie and Joe Emrick are collecting donations from volunteers between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Saturday outside Ryan Mackenzie’s campaign headquarters at 1125 S. Cedar Crest Boulevard, Suite 106, in Salisbury Township.
Republicans have blamed Senate Democrats for the shutdown because most have refused to support a continuing resolution, which would have kept the government — including SNAP — funded until the end of the year. Senate Democrats are demanding Republicans extend Affordable Care Act-enhanced premium tax credits that have made health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans and will expire at the end of the year without intervention from Congress.
Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday sued the USDA, joining a coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia that aim to legally compel the federal government to tap into a $6 billion emergency fund to continue funding SNAP, which the USDA has thus far refused to do.
Several other Republicans have pledged donations to the food drive, including state Treasuer Stacy Garrity, who is running for governor to challenge Shapiro in 2026, state Sen. Jarrett Coleman and state Rep. Zach Mako, and the Lehigh and Northampton County Republican Committees.
Other groups are stepping up to combat hunger, including the Greater СŷƵ United Way and СŷƵ Community Foundation, which are partnering to launch a $500,000 “Critical Support Fund” which will help stock food pantries across the region, focusing on areas with the highest need.
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