Waltham, MA – Today, in stark contrast to the failed Healey Administration, Republican candidate for Governor of Massachusetts Mike Kennealy issued an 11-part plan to protect SNAP benefits.

“The more than one million Massachusetts residents at risk of losing SNAP benefits next month should never be used as ‘leverage,’ and Maura Healey’s plan to let them go hungry is truly offensive to everyone but her,” said Kennealy. “With Maura Healey in the Corner Office, Massachusetts has a governor but not a leader willing to put our neighbors above their own partisan agenda. It’s time for a change.” 

Additionally, Kennealy called on Maura Healey to implement his plan and looks forward to her response. 

Mike Kennealy’s Plan to Address SNAP Funding Crisis

As Governor, I would take immediate action to protect SNAP benefits amid the federal government shutdown, while pressuring our congressional delegation to resolve it. Here’s the step-by-step approach – actions Governor Maura Healey should implement now:

1. Demand Congress Acts: Personally call each member of Massachusetts’ all-Democrat congressional delegation, starting with Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, Representatives Katherine Clark, and Jim McGovern. Insist they return to Washington, D.C., and vote to end the shutdown.
2. Increase Public Transparency: Report the outcomes of these calls to the public, including the excuses provided for prolonging the closure. Residents deserve full transparency.
3. Reject Using Residents as Political Leverage: Representative Clark stated last week: “There will be, you know, families that are going to suffer… But it is one of the few leverage times we have.” This week, instead of rejecting the notion that Massachusetts residents are “leverage,” Representative Jim McGovern doubled down by saying, “I want our state and every other state, including a lot of the red states, to be putting all the pressure that they can on the administration…,” instead of feeding kids. Unlike Representatives Clark and McGovern, I refuse to let children, veterans, and seniors starve to gain political leverage.
4. Temporary Use of the Stabilization Fund: Maura Healey does not know whether Massachusetts requires $240 million a month or $210 million a month to fund SNAP. Regardless, during the Baker-Polito Administration, the rainy-day fund grew from $1 billion to $8 billion over eight years, even while we returned $3 billion to taxpayers in 2022. As of October 14, 2025, it has a balance of $8,645,000,000. Under Healey, it has increased by only $600 million in nearly three years. Despite Healey’s recent claims, the Stabilization Fund has ample resources to provide immediate relief to Bay Staters, as fully funding SNAP for one month would use about 2.5% of the current fund balance.
5. Targeted Emergency Funding: File legislation to draw from the rainy-day fund to cover SNAP benefits for any child, veteran, or senior who has been a lawful Massachusetts resident for at least six months. This prioritizes vulnerable populations while avoiding risks of becoming a “right-to-SNAP” sanctuary state if the shutdown persists.
6. Legislative Push: Pressure the legislature to pass the bill swiftly, then immediately provide benefits to eligible children, veterans, and seniors.
7. Audit for Integrity: Launch a comprehensive audit of SNAP to identify waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption. Key questions: How many recipients have multiple EBT cards? How many ineligible individuals are enrolled? How many recent migrants, drawn by Maura Healey’s sanctuary state policies, are improperly receiving benefits?
8. Hold Wrongdoers Accountability: Revoke benefits from ineligible recipients identified in the audit. Refer fraud cases to law enforcement for prosecution and pursue reimbursement of misused funds.
9. Interim Relief for Non-Qualifying Adults: Over one million Massachusetts residents receive SNAP. For adults who are not children or six-month lawful residents, provide immediate cost-of-living reductions during the shutdown:
   • Suspend sales tax on prepared food items commonly bought in grocery stores.
   • Waive all local grocery bag fees and state-mandated bottle deposits.
   • Suspend the gas tax to ease transportation costs.
   • Eliminate “green gimmicks” from utility bills for household savings (and use this opportunity to make that change permanent).
10. Ongoing Pressure: Demand daily that the congressional delegation vote to reopen the government until it’s resolved.
11. Seek Federal Reimbursement: Fly to D.C. to meet President Trump directly—instead of doing yet another Maura Healey-MSNBC appearance—and request repayment for state-expended funds. Success is more likely after demonstrating we’ve eliminated waste, fraud, and abuse from our SNAP program.

This plan ensures immediate protection for children, veterans, and seniors. It promotes fiscal responsibility and holds federal leaders accountable without exploiting the crisis.

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