SNAP Payments Set to End for Over 40 Million Throughout Continuing Government Closure
Federal agriculture authorities declared this past weekend that nutrition assistance payments under one of the country’s largest welfare initiatives are not going out next month due to the ongoing federal closure.
Shutdown Extends For Nearly Four Weeks
The government shutdown was in three and a half weeks at the time of the statement, in response to calls from over 200 House Democrats pushing the department to tap into reserve accounts to pay for the upcoming nutrition payments.
“Ultimately, the well has run dry,” the USDA stated. “Currently, assistance will not be provided” on 1 November.
National Consequences
More than 41 million individuals rely on these monthly payments, per the USDA. Some regions, including New Mexico, dependence on this assistance affects one-fifth of the population.
A memo obtained by journalists showed that USDA officials chose not to tap reserve funds for the upcoming payments.
Partisan Impasse
Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked about the way to fund and reopen government operations.
Comments by the head of a budget research center indicated that federal leadership could have acted to act sooner to ensure continuous assistance.
“It could have, and should have acted before now to get ready to access these resources,” the statement continued. “Rather, they might decide against it to secure political leverage” as conservative leaders work to push upper chamber Democrats to approve legislation to restart government operations.
Emergency Measures
Governors in two affected states activated emergency protocols recently to allocate funds to combat potential hunger in anticipation of food benefits expiring next month.
