The federal government shutdown has entered its fourth week and is now threatening one of the nation’s most widely used assistance programs.
According to USA Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will stop going out on Nov. 1 if lawmakers do not reach a deal to reopen the government.
The shutdown, which began on Oct. 1 following a congressional impasse over funding and healthcare policy, is now the second-longest in U.S. history, with hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed and just as many others working without pay, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.
Agencies that rely on annual appropriations are running low on resources. The USDA confirmed that SNAP, which provides food assistance to more than 40 million Americans, has exhausted its budget for November and cannot legally draw from emergency disaster funds to cover regular monthly benefits. And even if it could use some of these funds, it could only supplement, not cover the entirety of regular benefits.
The department said no payments will be issued if the shutdown continues, warning that states will not be reimbursed if they use their own funds to keep benefits flowing, USA Today reported in a previous article. The update signals a growing crisis for millions of low-income families who could lose access to food assistance within days.
Several states, including Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, and California, have warned they may not be able to distribute benefits without new federal funding, according to Business Insider. Meanwhile, governors in Louisiana and Virginia, as Reuters reports, have declared states of emergency to release state-level hunger relief funds while waiting for federal action.
Food banks and community organizations across the country are also preparing for higher demand though they are already stretching to keep up with demand due to increased grocery prices, according to Time. The outlet notes that national hunger relief groups warn that families who depend on SNAP benefits could soon turn to emergency food pantries if payments are paused due to the government shutdown.
While SNAP faces immediate challenges, mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare continue to operate, though federal employees across multiple agencies are still going without pay, USA Today notes. Congress remains divided on funding, with Democrats seeking to extend health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act and Republicans pursuing a spending bill without additional provisions.
With the Nov. 1 deadline approaching, millions of Americans who rely on SNAP are waiting to receive their next benefit payment.
