The US government will stop paying food aid in November due to the ongoing shutdown
The US government shutdown suspends food assistance benefits in November, putting over 40 million Americans at risk of losing them.
Following the protracted US government shutdown, the USDA stated Friday that it will stop distributing food aid to nearly 40 million Americans starting in November.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the department wrote in a posting on its website, accusing Senate Democrats of being responsible for the budget stalemate.
One in eight Americans receive food stamps from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is a vital component of many families’ shopping budgets. Citing the need to save the money for emergencies like natural disasters, the Trump administration refused to use a contingency fund earlier this month that might have extended benefits.
The decision has drawn harsh criticism from Democrats. It was called “possibly the most cruel and unlawful offence the Trump administration has perpetrated yet” by Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro and Angie Craig. They also blasted President Donald Trump for using funds and time to build a new ballroom at the White House and send help to Argentina while the government was shut down.
Only over 60% of a month’s benefits would be covered by the contingency fund, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, House Democrats countered that there is still sufficient funding in SNAP’s reserve to provide the majority of November benefits. In order to adequately support the initiative, they encouraged the secretary to reallocate departmental monies and release those reserves.
Rollins responded by saying that only “true emergencies,” namely natural disasters, may use the reserve. Although the USDA previously stated in a shutdown plan that there were multi-year contingency reserves available to enable states to maintain operating, the administration now claims that those monies have been depleted.
Reloadable debit cards are usually used to provide SNAP benefits, allowing beneficiaries to buy necessary groceries. The average monthly income for a household of four is $715 (£540), or about $6 (£4.50) per person per day.
Several states have promised to fill the gap with local funding while federal financing is put on hold. Massachusetts has acknowledged that its state reserves are not enough to meet the gap, which could result in the loss of benefits for around one million people. While other states are working with food banks and charities to offer short-term help, California has mobilized the National Guard to support food distribution efforts.
With no apparent end in sight, the US government shutdown, which began its 26th day on Sunday, is currently the second-longest in American history.
