On Saturday (October 25), Eastern Time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a notice on its website stating that due to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, food assistance received by more than 40 million Americans will be unable to be distributed starting in November.
Food aid funds have been exhausted.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated in its notification: "In short, the funds have been exhausted... No subsidies will be disbursed starting November 1."
The notice also accused Democrats in the U.S. Senate of causing the deadlock.
The United States’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) plays a vital role in the food budgets of many poor families in the country.
The SNAP program works by issuing top-up debit cards that people can use to buy essential groceries. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBPP), a family of four receives an average of $715 per month, or about $6 per person per day.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says more than 41 million people rely on this monthly benefit, meaning one in eight Americans uses the program. In some states, such as New Mexico, the proportion of residents relying on the program is as high as 21%.
Trump refuses to use emergency funds
Since the U.S. government shutdown began on October 1, it has lasted for 26 days, making it the second longest government shutdown in history.
Due to the prolonged government shutdown, the deadlock between the two parties in the United States on issues such as the fiscal budget has continued unresolved, and the SNAP program has been unable to receive additional funding for a long time.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration refused to use an emergency fund to continue providing aid to the SNAP program, saying the funds were needed to deal with potential emergencies such as natural disasters, leaving the program nearly out of funding.
Previously, the SNAP program was implemented by the individual states, but most of the funding came from the federal government.
However, after the federal government cut off funding, several states have pledged to use their own funds to make up the funding gap, but the federal government has warned that it will not provide further compensation to local governments.
Some states, including Massachusetts, have stated that they do not have sufficient funds to make up for the funding shortfall.
Democrats accuse Trump of being "cruel"
US Democrats condemned President Trump's refusal to use emergency funds. On Friday, Eastern Time, Democratic Representatives Rosa DeLauro and Angie Craig issued a joint statement criticizing:
"This is perhaps one of the most brutal and illegal crimes committed by the Trump administration to date."
They also criticized Trump for not only refusing to pay food aid intended for poor Americans during the government shutdown, but also for providing aid to Argentina and building a new White House banquet hall.
However, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a policy research organization focused on helping low-income families, even if Trump allows the use of emergency funds, these funds can only cover about 60% of the SNAP program's monthly benefits—in other words, even if these emergency funds are used, the SNAP program can only be extended for a little over half a month.
(Article source: CLS)
