The ongoing political impasse in Washington is creating a crisis that extends far beyond the halls of the Capitol.

Right now, nearly two million Pennsylvanians who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program face genuine and chilling uncertainty over how they will feed themselves and their families next month.

This unprecedented dilemma also threatens the economic foundation that underpins this vital program — the businesses that make, transport and sell the food we all eat, no matter how it is purchased.

From convenience stores and independent grocers to major supermarkets and their distributors, Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) members are the backbone of the SNAP delivery system.

On behalf of our membership, we are sounding a clear alarm to our elected leaders in Congress: Failure to resolve the lapse in federal funding and delaying SNAP benefits for November will directly and severely impact food businesses and their customers, including, but not only, the millions of Pennsylvanians who rely on SNAP.

SNAP is an essential economic driver, channeling more than $350 million in federal funds through Pennsylvania’s food retailers every month. This money supports Pennsylvania farms, pays the wages of thousands of grocery workers, and keeps the entire supply chain moving.

It is an enormously popular, and successful, public-private partnership.

The Oct. 10 United States Department of Agriculture memo directing state agencies to “hold their November issuance files and delay transmission to State EBT vendors” threatens to disrupt this vital system. If it comes to pass, this delay would create immediate, critical challenges for the businesses processing millions of EBT transactions and serving SNAP customers.

Supply Chain Shock

and Inventory Issues

Our member businesses rely on a predictable schedule of SNAP disbursement to accurately forecast demand, schedule staff, and order perishable inventory like fresh produce, dairy, and meat. A delayed, unscheduled, and unpredictable influx of shoppers arriving on arbitrary dates would make demand forecasting impossible.

Not knowing when SNAP recipients will have the funds to shop, retailers will struggle to manage potential supply shortages, food waste and the specter of bare shelves at a time of year when store resources and staff are already stretched to breaking.

Cash Flow, Personnel Strain, and Customer Confusion

Sudden changes to the predictable purchasing cycle will severely strain the cash flow of many small and independent food retailers. Our frontline grocery workers — who are already managing high stress customer environments — will be forced to navigate mass customer confusion, chaotic checkout lines, and potential conflict as they deal with families whose benefits haven’t arrived and who may not understand why. In-store impacts will be felt by SNAP and non-SNAP customers alike.

What we are seeing in Washington, D.C. is not just a budget squabble. It is a direct threat to food security and economic stability in Pennsylvania.

We are proud to feed the people of the commonwealth, but this potential disruption profoundly challenges our ability to do so efficiently and reliably.

As we enter the holiday season — for all its many associations, also the busiest time of year for our industry — political uncertainty threatens to create a two-pronged food and economic crisis in Pennsylvania.

We must not let it.

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Alex Baloga has been president & CEO of the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association since 2017. He leads the group’s day-to-day operations and helps implement its strategic vision, working with the board of directors, of which he is a member. He leads the association’s government relations efforts at the local, state and federal levels.

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