42 million Americans will receive only partial food stamp payments as the government shutdown nears a record length, officials confirm
WASHINGTON: The White House will send only partial payments to 42 million Americans who rely on food stamps to buy groceries.
Officials revealed this development as the government shutdown crippling public services nears record length.
Two federal courts ruled last week that President Donald Trump’s administration must use a $4.65 billion emergency fund toward November’s estimated $9 billion food stamp costs.
Agriculture Department officials said in a court filing they would not make up the shortfall with other funding sources.
This means 50% of eligible households’ current allotments would be disbursed to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients.
Democrats’ blockade of a House of Representatives stopgap funding bill looks almost certain to hit its 36th day on Wednesday.
This would beat the record for the longest government shutdown in American history.
More Americans are feeling the pain from suspended government services as each week passes.
The political fight centers on money to help Americans cover health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Those subsidies serving as a lifeline for more than 20 million people are set to expire at year’s end.
Premiums will skyrocket when the new sign-up period opens Saturday unless Congress acts.
Washington’s warring parties remain deadlocked over the health care subsidies.
Democrats refuse to reopen the government without a deal to extend the subsidies.
Trump’s Republicans say they won’t talk until the government reopens.
SNAP funding averaging around $356 monthly per household lapsed on Saturday.
This leaves one in eight Americans uncertain of how they will buy groceries.
A federal judge in Rhode Island gave the program a temporary reprieve on Friday.
The judge ordered the White House to use emergency funds to pay for food stamps during the shutdown.
A similar ruling in Massachusetts supported this decision in a case brought by charities and other groups.
Democrats had been pushing the White House to use the emergency cash for food assistance.
The administration argued it could not legally tap that fund, which it said was meant for natural disasters.
WIC, the food aid program for pregnant women, new mothers and infants, is also on the brink thanks to the shutdown.
Head Start programs that provide nutrition and family support to 65,000 infants began shuttering on Saturday.
Lawmakers on both sides have voiced hopes that Trump will swoop in to broker a deal on health care subsidies.
Trump said Friday he had instructed government lawyers to clarify how to legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.
It remained unclear when food stamp recipients would receive their payments.
The White House has acknowledged there could be substantial delays because of the shutdown.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there is a process that must be followed for distributing benefits.
President Trump wants to ensure people get their food benefits according to the Treasury Secretary.
Democrats berated the president for refusing to cover full SNAP payments for November.
Senate Democrat Patty Murray said the letter of the law is plain and Trump should have paid SNAP benefits all along.
She stated that paying the bare minimum to partially fund SNAP is not enough and not acceptable. – AFP
