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As the partial closure of the government continues unabated, millions of America's most vulnerable citizens could be left hungry.
In February, the Ministry of Agriculture, among the nine federal agencies that closed their doors. In December, the Washington Post announced that it may have to slash into the country's largest food aid program, known as the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Congress awarded funding to SNAP. until January, according to the USDA. After that, the department needs to tap into a $ 3 billion emergency fund, which will not be able to cover even two-thirds of the program in February. As of September 2018 – the most recent month for which data were available – states have provided $ 4.7 billion in food aid through SNAP, which serves more than 38 million people.
In other words, unless the government reopens before the end of January, millions of Americans living below the poverty line could be left behind and their access to food threatened by February. The USDA has not responded to a comment.
Trump and Congress are in stalemate over government spending for 17 days, with no sign of agreement. The conflict comes as a result of Trump's request for $ 5 billion in funding from the Border Wall, which the Democrats refuse to subscribe to. Democrats in the House, which came together in a majority on January 3, passed several spending bills to fund the government – without the border wall – that Trump rejected. Just last week, the president promised that the stalemate could last months or even years.
Every day that passes, closure has a greater impact on the livelihoods of the poorest Americans.
Most food consumers are children or older adults [19659008] For millions of Americans, food stamp programs are the last resort. The majority of US adults receiving benefits live well below the poverty line and in low-paying, high-turnover jobs.
Beneficiaries of vouchers are primarily older children and adults or persons with disabilities ] – 76% of SNAP benefits go to households with children. In 2013, SNAP beneficiaries were about 40% white, 26% black and 10% Hispanic.
In the meantime, the effects of the closure of small food assistance programs are already apparent. Cutbacks due to closure reduced the size of resources allocated to food aid programs by 95%.
Already the food supplement program for commodities, serving more than 600,000 low-income seniors, the food distribution program on Indian reserves. and the special supplementary nutrition program for women, infants and children, which serves more than 8 million people, is short of federal funding. According to the USDA, these programs can continue with public and local funding.
The possible consequences of a reduction in food aid are serious. There is strong evidence that SNAP reduces food insecurity. An article by Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Lauren Bauer, and Greg Nantz of the Hamilton Project a think tank on economic issues at the Brookings Institution, found that "SNAP improves health outcomes and well-being. to be household financial, and even improve outcomes for people who had access to the program later in life.
Government closures are costly and strike the most vulnerable in America
Government closures are costly – and serious.
About 800,000 governments employees have been affected by the closure and will likely not see any salary arrears until it is resolved, a disastrous situation for those living off a paycheck at the same time. 39; another. As Li Zhou of Vox reported, those who have a contract with the federal government, such as janitors, may not receive arrears of payment.
The longer the closure, the greater the threat of impact on ordinary Americans, even those who are not employed by the government. .
Just look in 2013, when the government closed for 16 days. The Office of Management and Budget estimated that the closure resulted in 120,000 fewer jobs and reduced economic growth by 0.2 to 0.6% in the last quarter of 2013. Total tax refunds of 4 billion dollars were delayed, Women, infants and children nutrition program was not funded, the Food and Drug Administration deferred approval of drugs and medical devices.
We are at day 17 and there is no record of an agreement. Although the military, social security and other benefit payments are generally unaffected, the impacts are real – and they affect the lower-income Americans harder
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