November brings the bounty of the Thanksgiving holiday. To celebrate, the current administration has elected to withhold SNAP/Food Stamp benefits from the most fragile people in our society: children, seniors and the disabled.
Reporters from the NPR Network are covering the impact of this potential lapse in states across the country: The federal government shutdown continues without an end in sight. ... tens of millions of people are at risk of losing federal food and nutrition benefits as a result. This includes the nearly 42 million people who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, previously known as food stamps...The Trump administration has warned that the debit-like EBT cards will not be refilled and that the program runs out of money on Nov. 1. SNAP, the country's largest anti-hunger program, dates back to the Great Depression and has never been disrupted this way. Most recipients are seniors, families with kids and people with disabilities. ...States are trying to sort out what options they can offer beneficiaries to fill the gap in food assistance.
Click here to see what your state is offering.
There are backup funds available to cover the shortfall. However this administration has chosen not to use them.
According to The Hill, A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration fromcutting off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beginning this weekend because of the government shutdown, ordering officials to first spend an emergency fund....
But U.S. District Judge John McConnells order prevents the administration from completely drying up the benefit for more than 40 million Americans starting Saturday,rejecting arguments that the emergency fund can be used only for hurricanes or other uncontrollable catastrophes.
SNAP benefits have never, until now, been terminated, McConnell said at a hearing. And theUnited States has in fact admitted that the contingency funds are appropriately used during a shutdown and that occurred in 2019.
The Hill notes, The administration can fully fund the gap for November using a separate source, known as Section 32 funds, which come from customs receipts.
