In his regular Wednesday conference call with reporters, Ohio U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown said 1.7 million Ohioans who depend on food assistance would be hurt from a loss of SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits if Republicans follow through on their vow to shutdown the federal government over a plan to defund Planned Parenthood.

Unlike the federal government shutdown in 2013, which was estimated to cost about $16 billion, the looming shutdown at the end of the 2015 federal fiscal year, October 1, could result in the loss of food stamps for approximately 45 million Americans who rely on SNAP […]