SNAP Payments Expected to End for 41 Million During Prolonged Government Closure
USDA officials declared this past weekend that monthly food benefits from a major federal support systems won't be issued next month because of the continuing government funding lapse.
Closure Continues For Nearly Four Weeks
The federal closure had reached three and a half weeks at the time of the statement, coming after demands from hundreds of Congressional Democrats asking the department to utilize emergency reserves to fund the upcoming nutrition payments.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the department confirmed. “Now, no payments will be distributed” beginning in November.
National Consequences
Over 40 million Americans depend on the regular assistance, per official statistics. Various areas, like one southwestern state, dependence on this assistance reaches 21% of residents.
Internal communications seen by journalists indicated that the department would not access reserve funds for the upcoming payments.
Partisan Impasse
Congressional leaders are still at odds over how to finance and restart federal agencies.
Comments by the director at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities suggested that the administration could have acted to prepare in advance to ensure continuous assistance.
“They had the ability and responsibility acted weeks ago to get ready to use these funds,” the comments added. “Rather, officials could opt out to secure political leverage” as conservative leaders work to push upper chamber Democrats to approve a spending bill that would reopen government operations.
States Prepare
State leaders from multiple regions issued emergency declarations recently to free up resources to address food insecurity preparing for nutrition assistance payments stopping next month.
