Food Security At Risk For Millions As Shutdown Threatens Food Stamps

on January 2, 2019 in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 02: The U.S. Capitol can be seen from the National Mall as the partial shutdown of the U.S. government goes into the 12th day, on January 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. With the new congress sche... WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 02: The U.S. Capitol can be seen from the National Mall as the partial shutdown of the U.S. government goes into the 12th day, on January 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. With the new congress scheduled to start on January 3, Congressional Democrats and Republicans have not come to a bipartisan solution to President Donald Trump's demands for more money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

If the government shutdown lingers into February, millions of Americans will suffer from disrupted SNAP benefits, colloquially known as food stamps.

According to a Monday CBS News report, SNAP is automatically renewed every year, but Congress has not approved funding past January. There is a $3 million reserve of emergency SNAP funds, but that will fall far short of the country’s needs. For comparison, in September 2018, $4.7 billion was distributed nationwide in SNAP benefits.

SNAP isn’t the only critical nutritional program at risk because of the shutdown. Per CBS, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are currently receiving no federal funding, having to depend on state reserves.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for sooner sooner says:

    Per CBS, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are currently receiving no federal funding, having to depend on state reserves.

    tRumpleThinSkin emphasizes with them and feels their hunger pains. There was that time when he had to eat a cold Big Double McAwful when the microwave on his plane was one the blink.

    So unfair…sad

  2. “There are many SNAP recipients telling me to keep the Shutdown going. They say they’d rather their families starve to death than not get a big, beautiful, strong steel slat wall on the Southern border a thousand miles away from them.”

  3. How long would the shutdown last if the people governing the nation had to go without food for the duration?

    This is no longer a decent country.

  4. Avatar for sooner sooner says:

    On a serious note withholding SNAP payments to anyone, children especially, who are nutritionally challenged is criminal. Not only does it negatively impact a child’s brain development and ability to learn it’s downright cruel.

    Withhold congressional and Executive branch pay but keep these people fed. This coincides with the season when there is scant excess fresh food available from agricultural entities. Food banks are stressed right now.

  5. He’s OK with separating children from their families and putting them in camps, why not starve some of the natives? Absolutely disgusting but so completely in character.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

52 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for paulw Avatar for sooner Avatar for meri Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for arrrrrj Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for becca656 Avatar for irasdad Avatar for bluinmaine Avatar for lastroth Avatar for sanni Avatar for greylady Avatar for dangoodbar Avatar for ronbyers Avatar for georgemilquetoast Avatar for rickjones Avatar for birdford Avatar for kelaine Avatar for zillacop Avatar for rascal_crone

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: