The US government shutdown has caused disruptions in several key government functions. On Saturday, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it would not be issuing food benefits next month due to scarcity of funds, Reuters reported.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” a post on the website of the USDA said. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01.”
As per Reuters, more than 41 million people receive food benefits in the US. With federal funding having stopped due to the shutdown, more than 200 Democrats from the US House of Representatives called upon the agency to use emergency funds to continue the program. But seemingly, those emergency funds will not be used.
Food benefit program
The Hill reports that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s (SNAP) contingency funds amount to somewhere between $5-$6 billion. However, the amount required to issue food stamps next month to the millions of beneficiaries comes to around $8 million.
In such a scenario, the use of emergency funds would not have sufficed fully but might have helped alleviate the troubles of those in need. But on Friday, the USDA announced that it would not be tapping into the emergency funds if the shutdown continues beyond October 31, as per The Hill.
What USDA says
The argument being put forward by the USDA, as explained in a memo, reported through Axios, is that these funds are meant to be used in times of natural disasters. The shutdown does not fall in that category, hence using funds in the present scenario would be illegal, the agency argues.
However, this stand of the USDA stands in contrast to the position it took earlier this year.
“Congressional intent is evident that SNAP’s operation should continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds that can be used for State Administrative Expenses to ensure that the State can also continue operations during a Federal Government shutdown,” a policy statement given earlier this year had said. It has since been deleted, The Hill reports.
This latest development is leading to a blame game between Democrats and Republicans as to who is responsible for this conundrum. However, there does not seem to be an end to this logjam in sight.
FAQs
How many people receive food benefits?
The estimate is that around 41 million people receive assistance under the SNAP.
When will the funds for issuing this aid run out?
The funds run out at the end of October.
What is SNAP?
It is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food stamps to people who are financially unable to purchase enough food themselves.