JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Representative Ray Reed (D–St. Louis) today called on Governor Mike Kehoe to use every tool at his disposal to protect Missouri families who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as the ongoing federal government shutdown threatens to halt benefits for over 326,000 households next month.
“In moments like these, leadership isn’t about waiting for Washington to act — it’s about stepping up to make sure our neighbors don’t go hungry,” said Rep. Reed. “Hundreds of thousands of Missouri families are facing an empty fridge and an uncertain future. The Governor has both the authority and the responsibility to help.”
Reed pointed to actions taken in other states, including Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s declaration of a state of emergency this week to expedite food assistance and bolster local food banks amid the same federal shutdown.
“Governor Youngkin — a Republican — recognized that when families can’t feed their children, that’s not a partisan issue. It’s a human one,” Reed said. “If Virginia can act, Missouri can too.”
While the state cannot replace the federal funds that power SNAP, Reed urged Governor Kehoe to declare a state of emergency, deploy emergency resources to Missouri’s food banks, and launch a temporary state program to support the most vulnerable households — including children, seniors, and people with disabilities — until federal benefits resume.
“Our state’s food banks and community organizations do heroic work every single day,” Reed continued. “But they can’t shoulder this burden alone. The Governor must use the power of his office to make sure Missouri families aren’t left to fend for themselves in the middle of a crisis they didn’t create.”
Reed emphasized that the shutdown’s impact on SNAP recipients reveals a deeper problem — an overreliance on a federal system that too often leaves working families at the mercy of political dysfunction in Washington.
“This moment calls for compassion and courage,” Reed said. “Because when politics fails, government still has a sacred duty to protect the people it serves. Every child who goes to bed hungry, every parent forced to skip a meal to feed their family — that’s a failure of leadership we can prevent, if we choose to act.”
Representative Ray Reed proudly serves as the State Representative for Missouri’s 83rd House District, which includes vibrant communities across the St. Louis region, including Brentwood, Maplewood, Richmond Heights, Shrewsbury, and portions of Affton. He was elected to his first two-year term in November 2024.
For more information, please contact the office of Rep. Ray Reed at Ray.Reed@House.Mo.Gov, or by calling (573) 751-2883.