"While Donald Trump on rice and beef at a diplomatic lunch with Japan's on Tuesday, tens of millions of Americans stressed about the weekend to come. Starting Saturday, the nation's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-which new prime minister feeds about 12.5% of the U.S.-will run out of funds."
"The food stamp program receives about $8 billion per month through annual Congressional appropriations, which lapsed the day the shutdown began. But there's supposed to be about $5 billion worth of funds to support SNAP in the case of an emergency-or, say, a shutdown, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the program. Supposed to be."
""The contingency funds are not legally available to cover the benefits right now," Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said at a news conference on Monday. "The reason is because it's a finite source of funds." (Conveniently, he left out that just a few weeks ago, Trump reappropriated funds-without the support of Congress-to ensure active-duty military members would get their paychecks.) Johnson , "We need five more Democrats in the Senate to do the right thing, wake up and say, 'I'm going to say no to the Marxist far-left pressure, and I'm going to do what's right by the people.'""
SNAP serves roughly 12.5% of Americans and faces an imminent funding shortfall beginning Saturday as annual Congressional appropriations lapsed with the shutdown. The program normally receives about $8 billion per month and the USDA had previously indicated roughly $5 billion in contingency funds could be used for emergencies. Congressional and administrative actions have complicated access to those contingency funds, and political leaders have publicly disputed their legal availability. Recent administrative policy changes cut SNAP by about 30% in July and the USDA removed web guidance about multi-year contingency funds. Millions of households now face abrupt benefit interruptions amid the shutdown.
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