The US Department of Agriculture has confirmed that the aid program will no longer be funded, stating that “the source has finally dried up”, writes the BBC.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is critical to the household budgets of many families, and is used by one in eight Americans. Due to the cutoff in federal funding, soup kitchens across the country are expecting a significantly higher number of users.
The department blamed the impasse on Senate Democrats, while the Trump administration earlier this month refused to tap a contingency fund that would have ensured continued payments. As a reason, they cited the need to save funds for potential emergencies such as natural disasters.
Democrats strongly condemned President Donald Trump for the decision.
“This is perhaps the most egregious and gross violation committed by the Trump administration to date,” Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro and Angie Craig said in a joint statement. They also criticized Trump for providing aid to Argentina and building a new ballroom in the White House during the government shutdown.
Democrats asked Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to use the reserve funds, but she said in a memo that they could only be used for “real emergencies.”
The SNAP program works by giving beneficiaries debit cards that they can use to buy basic groceries, and the average family of four receives about $715 a month. Although states administer the programs, most are funded by the federal government.
Several states have announced that they will use their own funds to cover the shortfall, but have been warned that they will not be reimbursed for that money. Others, like Massachusetts, have said they don’t have enough money to make up the shortfall.
Many states are now directing beneficiaries to charitable soup kitchens, and California has even enlisted the National Guard to help distribute food. The US government shutdown entered its 26th day on Sunday, making it the second longest in US history.
(Vijesti.ba)
