As the government continues to fight over the border wall, many Americans are beginning to worry. Now the longest government shut-down in the country’s history, no side is backing down. Both Republicans and Democrats believe their side to be right for the country. While they debate back and forth, many are scared about losing their food stamps and other benefits.
First off, you have the over 800,000 Federal workers who aren’t collecting a paycheck. There are airport terminals closing because TSA agents are calling out sick. They’re not really sick, but rather being forced to work while not being paid. While the government promises to reimburse them, the biggest concern is with food stamps and benefits like WIC.
Back in December, many wondered if the government shutdown would impact their food stamps. Luckily, the government assured everyone there would be enough through January, but February might be a bit sketchy. In fact, the USDA said they only had enough benefits to make it through January. That means millions of the poorest Americans might not get the assistance they rely on to eat.
Are Food Stamps in Jeopardy During the Shutdown?
Despite the USDA saying they could only fund the food stamp program through January, it appears a deal has been worked out. It was revealed that the USDA and the Trump administration came together to forge a deal. This deal would continue to fund food stamps throughout the month of February.
“Our motto here at USDA has been to ‘Do Right and Feed Everyone.’ With this solution, we’ve got the ‘Feed Everyone’ part handled. And I believe that the plan we’ve constructed takes care of the ‘Do Right’ part as well,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in a statement.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 42 Americans receive food stamps. 70% of those recipients are households with children who rely on those benefits. Another third of those are disabled Americans or seniors. It’s not just food stamps that are good to go. WIC and school lunch programs are also slated for a boost through February.
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While this good news, the future of these programs hangs in the balance. The government remains shut down and the two sides are at an impasse. Neither side seems willing to budge to take care of the American people. Even the USDA itself remains shut down during this time, so it’s great to hear they will be helping Americans.
March continues to be up in the air. We can only hope this shutdown is over by then.
