Since the government shut down on October 1st, many government funded organizations are going without funding. With no end in sight, many citizens who rely on government aid worry about what could happen next. One such program is what is keeping millions Americans from going hungry, some Puma families may be affected.
WHAT IS SNAP?
SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is a federal program that provides monthly funds to eligible low-income households to purchase groceries. The modern program started in 1964 when the Food Stamp Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, making the program permanent. This was a revival of a pilot program first initiated in 1961 and a continuation of an initial pilot program that ran during the Great Depression from 1939 to 1943. Its purpose was to act as a safety net against hunger for Americans with low incomes.
WHO DOES THIS EFFECT
According to The Washington Post “Forty-two million people — roughly 1 in 8 Americans — could see cuts or delays to food assistance as soon as Saturday if the government shutdown continues.” This government shutdown affects millions of Americans, over 12.3% of the US population rely on SNAP benefits, that is about 42 million people in the US, many of whom are veterans, parents, children and the elderly. About 86% of SNAP benefits go to households with a child, an elderly person, or a person with a disability. In California alone, over 14% of Californians rely on SNAP, that’s over 5 million Californians that rely on these benefits. Because of the government shut down, SNAP will start to run out of money Saturday. And the Trump administration won’t tap emergency funds to keep those food benefits going. At least 25 states are already planning to cut off benefits, as a result of the lack of funding. This means millions of families and people risk going hungry this November if the government does not reopen.
In response to the federal government shutdown, which has suspended SNAP benefits (known as CalFresh in California), locals and state governments are organizing a multi-faceted emergency relief effort. This includes providing funds to food banks, mobilizing resources for distribution, and according to USA Today “This has led to some Democratic-led states suing President Donald Trump’s administration in an effort to stop the suspension of the SNAP program”.
