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Several states issued warnings that they will be forced to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting Nov. 1 if the government shutdown continues. SNAP is a program that issues benefits that can be used to purchase food. The program is relied on by roughly 42 million Americans. It is funded by the federal government, but allocated by the states. In some states, the payments have already halted. For example, in , SNAP payments stopped going out starting Oct. 16. “Starting October 16, SNAP benefits will not be paid until the federal government shutdown ends and funding is released to Pennsylvania,” the agency said. “We will notify SNAP recipients when payments can resume.” confirmed the state will not issue benefits for November due to the shutdown. “The federal SNAP program helps support food security, improve health outcomes, and strengthen Maine’s economy,” said Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Sara Gagné-Holmes. “For tens of thousands of Maine people, these benefits mean the ability to put food on the table. A disruption of this scale will also impact Maine’s food pantries, which are vital partners in helping communities meet basic needs, as well as retailers. We are monitoring developments closely and will continue to assess the full impact.” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, will send a letter to US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on Tuesday, encouraging the USDA to release the contingency funds to state agencies for the program. SNAP not the only federal program at risk When it comes to other federal programs, President Donald Trump used creative methods to keep them afloat. White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt said the White House is using to fund the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC. The program supports low-income mothers to buy essential groceries such as infant formula, produce and milk. Who gets paid? Lawmakers are also to pay federal workers as the shutdown continues. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is pushing the Senate to vote on a bill that will pay federal workers during the shutdown. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries does not support the bill because “it appears to be more like a political ploy.” Trump also signed an executive order that would allow military troops to be paid during the shutdown.
