We are now in the midst of the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history. Trump and the Republcans’ actions (or inaction) are impacting millions of Americans. Thousands of federal employees are working without pay. Hundreds of airline flights are being cancelled because many air traffic controllers (not being paid and forced to work) are calling in sick. Insurance companies are raising premiums for many Americans who depend on the Affordable Care Act for coverage.
And SNAP benefits have been interrupted, leaving millions without funds they rely on to buy food for themselves and their children and dramatically increasing demand on food pantries.
A number of local groups are organizing food drives, and contributing cash and their labor to the Idaho Food Bank and similar organizations. (NPC Dems will be volunteering later this month, and we’re looking for more volunteers.)
Perhaps help will come from an unexpected source. One news item that nearly got lost amidst the chaos was reported by numerous media outlets: The Department of Homeland Security has purchased two Gulfstream private jets for Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary, and her Deputy Secretary at a cost of over $170 million.
The local benefit? Secretary Noem and her staff can fly directly to the Lewiston Airport and help with food drives.
Or perhaps they could cancel the order for the new planes, continue to use the current ones (25 years old and already paid for) and donate the money to food banks around the country.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/us/politics/kristi-noem-dhs-gulfstream.html (Behind a paywall.)
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/5563747-kristi-noem-gulfstream-jets-dhs/ (No paywall.)
Featured image by Tumisu on pixabay.com.
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George Grenley is a retired electronics engineer. Originally from the great state of Michigan, George worked in Silicon Valley for over forty years, but managed to avoid getting rich. He is now retired to a quiet farm, just southeast of east of Lewiston proper, where he pursues woodworking and politics, in part via the nice folks at NPC Dems. The opinions he expresses are his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Nez Perce County Democrats.
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