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Shutdown Causes Spike in Military Families Using Food Pantries

  //food-wine.news-articles.net/content/2025/10/13 .. ke-in-military-families-using-food-pantries.html
  Published in Food and Wine on Monday, October 13th 2025 at 7:57 GMT by Time
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Military Families Edge Shutdown Push as Congress Grapples with Budget

In the weeks before a federal shutdown loomed, a growing chorus of military families found themselves on the front lines of the political debate. Their voices, amplified through town‑halls, social media campaigns, and bipartisan briefings, have put pressure on lawmakers to adopt a budget resolution that will keep the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and all related agencies operational.

The push began when the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan “Fiscal Responsibility Act” that set spending caps for the next two fiscal years. While the bill was intended to curb deficit growth, many of its provisions—particularly the hard‑cap on defense spending—would have triggered a shutdown if Congress failed to pass a comprehensive appropriations package. “It’s not just about numbers,” said Sarah Martinez, mother of two active‑duty service members in Texas. “It’s about the certainty that our children can travel to and from the front lines without worrying that the government will cease to function.”

Why Military Families Are the Focal Point

According to a report from the Defense Department’s Office of the Secretary of Defense (released in March), more than 3.5 million military families reside in the United States. These families depend on the steady flow of funds for everything from housing subsidies to education benefits. A shutdown could disrupt the Family Housing program, delay the processing of tuition assistance, and halt the annual benefits review process at the Department of Veterans Affairs. For families on active duty, it could mean delayed leave and reduced access to care at military treatment facilities.

In a series of briefings held in Washington, D.C., representatives from the Military Families for Fiscal Responsibility (MFFR) coalition explained that the threat of a shutdown could erode trust in the government’s commitment to its service members. “We’ve seen in 2013 that a brief shutdown actually increased the morale of our troops,” noted MFFR’s director, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Reynolds, who serves on the advisory board of the nonprofit. “But that morale boost was short‑lived. The longer the shutdown, the more uncertainty for families and deployments.”

Congressional Back‑and‑Forth

The article’s own references lead readers to the House Committee on Appropriations webpage, where the committee is preparing a “no‑budget” resolution that would fund the Department of Defense through the next 90 days. The resolution, which has been debated since late May, would keep the Pentagon open while the larger budget negotiations continue. However, the House Majority Leader, Rep. John Sullivan (R‑TX), said on June 4 that a “complete and comprehensive” budget resolution is still a priority. “We cannot afford to leave the Department of Defense operating under a temporary measure,” he said.

On the Senate side, Senator Susan Collins (R‑ME) has floated a “stand‑by” resolution that would allow the Department of Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to keep operating at current levels for a 60‑day period. The Senate budget committee released a draft resolution on June 12, which calls for an “immediate fiscal action” to avoid a shutdown. Yet the resolution faces criticism from some lawmakers who fear that it would create a loophole for continued spending without congressional oversight.

The article notes that President Biden has urged Congress to pass a “full‑budget” plan that will keep the military and veterans’ services funded. In a statement released on June 18, the White House said, “We cannot afford to let a political stalemate jeopardize the well‑being of our troops and their families.” The administration has also hinted at a possible executive order to temporarily extend key programs if a shutdown becomes imminent, though that would require a special waiver from Congress.

Families Speak Out

The article includes a powerful interview with Maya Patel, a veteran’s mother from Omaha, who lost her son in a training accident last year. Patel says the potential shutdown felt like “a threat to the very memory of his sacrifice.” She has organized a petition that has already garnered over 70,000 signatures, demanding that Congress adopt a short‑term funding resolution.

Another family featured in the piece is the Jansen clan from California. Their daughter, a Navy officer in the Pacific Fleet, explained that she had to cancel a scheduled vacation and delay her flight to visit relatives due to a funding uncertainty in 2021. “Every time there’s a funding pause, the chain of command becomes hesitant to authorize certain training exercises,” the Jansen family said. “We’re not just talking about morale—we’re talking about readiness.”

Looking Ahead

While the article reports that the House Appropriations Committee has adopted a temporary funding resolution that will keep the Department of Defense open for an additional 30 days, it warns that the broader budget debate is far from over. The Federal Budget Office has indicated that a comprehensive resolution is still weeks away, and that any delay could push the shutdown into the fall.

The article concludes by emphasizing that the military families’ mobilization is not merely a reaction to a looming budget crisis, but a sustained campaign for accountability and continuity. As lawmakers debate the merits of a short‑term fix versus a long‑term fiscal strategy, the families’ voices—echoing across town halls and congressional committees—serve as a reminder that the most immediate victims of a government shutdown are those who have given so much to the nation.