{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://sablan.house.gov/test-1", "Kilili to Governor: Dont cut food aid", "2020-09-24", "2020", "2020-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan asked Governor Ralph Torres today not to cut food aid for Marianas families on October 1. In a letter to the Congressman on August 26, the Governor threatened to cut aid to some of the 5,169 families now enrolled in the Commonwealth's Nutrition Assistance Program, unless Congress appropriated $11.5 million.\nIn a response to the Governor, Congressman Sablan said cutting aid in the middle of the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus would be a terrible hardship on these families.\nHe asked Governor Torres to be compassionate, at least, to March next year, when the $23 million the Commonwealth currently has available might run out.\nSablan also updated the Governor on yesterday's action by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives to include the Marianas in a special Pandemic EBT program, providing food assistance to families with school children. The change is part of the must-pass continuing resolution to fund the federal government through December 11.\nThe Pandemic EBT program will require a plan of action from the Governor but is expected to provide from $12 to $16 million to the Commonwealth.\nThe program was set up in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and did not include American Samoa, Puerto Rico, or the Marianas, because those areas do not have EBT, electronic benefits transfer, systems. Instead, the Families First Act in May and the CARES Act in March provided the Commonwealth with $1.86 million for food assistance, money, Kilili noted, the Governor had not accounted for when deciding to cut benefits on October 1.\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://sablan.house.gov/test-1"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 18.390027107670903, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}