Florida Democrats urge DeSantis to participate in federal food assistance program for kids

Florida House Democrats sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday pressing him to apply for a federal program that would provide food assistance to low-income kids next summer.

The Sunshine State was one of 13 states that passed up millions in federal funds for the summer EBT program that gave low-income families $120 for school-aged children this year, according to States Newsroom’s D.C. Bureau .

Pressure from parents, anti-hunger and child advocacy groups , and now Democrats keeps mounting on Florida to notify the federal government that it plans to participate in the program next year as the Aug. 15 deadline approaches.

“Florida has an opportunity to correct the egregious error made by DeSantis in 2024 when he decided to politicize food insecurity,” House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell wrote in a press release on Tuesday.

“Floridians have had to suffer through political stunt after political stunt by this governor while they’re trying to address their affordability crisis. Struggling families can’t eat political stunts and don’t deserve to suffer the consequences imposed by the governor’s limited view of freedom. In a state that purportedly prioritizes parental rights, Gov. DeSantis must allow Floridians the freedom to access the federal benefits their tax dollars paid for.”

The USDA estimates that more than 2 million children in Florida would get around $258.9 million in federal aid through the program. Florida would only have to fund half of the administrative costs to distribute the benefits, which adds up to $13 million.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com . Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter .

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