The federal government shutdown in November might result in the loss of vital food assistance for almost 42 million Americans. Furthermore, it’s unclear if the Trump administration will find sufficient funds to keep providing benefits, as it has done with other issues.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins warned reporters at the White House Thursday that the food stamp program will face shortage of funds in two weeks.
“So you’re talking about millions and millions of vulnerable families, of hungry families that are not going to have access to these programs because of this shutdown,” Rollins stated.
In a post on X Thursday, Rollins blamed Democrats, like other Trump administration officials, for prioritizing “their political agenda ahead of food security for American families”.
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Republicans vs Democrats
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Rollins’ remarks were made one week after the US Department of Agriculture warned states that if the federal grant lapse persists, there won’t be adequate resources to provide full food stamp benefits in November. The government requested that states postpone payments for November until further notice.
Food stamps are officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and approximately one in eight people in the US gets aid in purchasing food. As of May, the program, which is a vital component of the country’s safety net, offers participants an average monthly benefit of $188 per person.
What is SNAP? All on ongoing discussion about emergency funding
SNAP, the biggest anti-hunger program in the country, has a contingency fund of roughly $6 billion, but payouts are anticipated to reach $8 billion in November. Multi-year contingency funding can be used to provide benefits in the case of a lapse, according to USDA’s shutdown plan.
When questioned about whether USDA plans to shell out at least a portion of benefits next month, a senior agency official cited Rollins’ remarks that the program’s funds will run out in two weeks, as per CNN.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul blasted Trump administration for mandating that states stop providing monthly benefits.
As Republicans and Democrats continue to clash on Capitol Hill over finalizing a government spending agreement for the current fiscal year, the food stamp program is the second nutrition aid lifeline that might run out of funding.
The federal government was compelled to shut down on October 1 due to the impasse.
17 states to stop accepting new food stamp applications
At least 17 states will stop taking new food stamp applications due to the impending financial shortage. This is due to their systems’ requirement that they issue November benefits along with half October payments. Other states can disburse October’s funding to new applicants and receive funds for the two months separately, CNN reported.
Food stamps have previously been in jeopardy during a shutdown. USDA first stated that benefits will run out at the end of January during the record-breaking standoff that started in December 2018.
However, the agency then stated that it will cover February payments by using a clause that permits it to make required payments within 30 days following a government funding lapse.
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