Hunger? Again? We thought we had a system to prevent hunger in this wealthy nation.

Yet recently, for more than a month, people were going hungry. Without access to their SNAP allocations, they could not get food. Food is essential for life. Its absence has a ripple effect forcing rent, utilities, health care and clothing onto the back burner. To provide food from emergency state allocations, food pantries and similar programs came forward to deal with the crisis.

SNAP eligibility had already been destined to be tightened by the tax, spending and policy bill passed by Congress in the spring — a bill that expanded work requirements, tightened eligibility rules and imposed new cost-sharing obligations on states. The sudden total program shutdown made matters worse. Those who had benefits r

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