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The partial closure of the government, two weeks old, could significantly reduce food coupons for nearly 40 million Americans and freeze or delay more than $ 140 billion in tax refunds if it occurs extends until February, reported Friday the Washington Post
. Officials told the Post that the White House did not anticipate the closure could last as long and that it only recently acknowledged its widespread impact.
About 25% of government members closed on December 22, including the departments of Homeland Security, Agriculture. (USDA), Treasury, Trade, Justice, Interior and State. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been laid off or forced to work without pay. President Trump 
Donald John TrumpTrump said he could call a national emergency for the construction of a border wall O & # 39; Rourke indicates his support for the "concept" of the Supreme Court Green New Deal to deal with gerrymandering business. PLUS said Friday the closure could last 'months or even years'.
Cutting funds to the USDA and the Treasury could hamper their ability to give food coupons to those in need or to make tax refunds.
The White House, USDA and the Treasury did not immediately respond to The Hill's requests for comment.
The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) requires annual congressional funding, although its existence is automatically renewed. SNAP funding has not been extended beyond January and previous disbursements reviewed by the Post Office would not cover the entire month of February. The program distributed $ 4.7 billion in benefits across the country in September, the last month for which data are available.
"We are currently reviewing options for SNAP," Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, told Tim. "The best solution would be for Congress to pass a legitimate appropriation bill to the President to terminate funding."
The USDA office that oversees CPAWS has sent 95% of its employees home without pay during the closing. The failure of SNAP would hurt not only those who need it, but also retailers who are spending food stamps.
The Treasury Department is routing to one of its busiest times of the year: the IRS has sent home nearly 90% after the Post
The IRS paid $ 147.6 billion in tax refunds to 48.5 million households in the first months of 2018, according to La Poste. Last year, he had announced that he would not proceed with any tax refunds during a closure and a senior administration official told the Post that the payments would be significantly affected if they were paid.
In addition to affecting the finances of families across the country, the economy could also suffer a shock because households will have less money to spend.
"The IRS will finalize and publish its lapse plan during the filing season in the coming days," a Treasury Department official told The Hill.
April 15 would be the normal deadline for tax returns on income earned in 2018.
Partial closure of the government is on day 14 as the White House and Capitol Hill have not yet found agreement on a spending bill, funding a border wall becoming the focus of negotiations.
Trump said Friday that he was asking for $ 5.6 billion under any legislation to end the shutdown, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 
Nancy Patricia D & # 39; Alesandro PelosiTrump said that he could appeal to a national emergency to build the Dems border wall in order to introduce a bill on the background checks of firearms in the country. anniversary of Gabby Giffords slaying Trump: a demilitarized Congressman herself with a profane appeal to the destitution PLUS (D-Calif.) and Leader of the Senate minority Charles Schumer 
Charles (Chuck Ellis SchumerThe Schander and Planned Parenthood are not strangers. Pelosi: I respect more the presidency and government agencies than Trump Does It Three Top Priorities for 2,019 to 'Keep America Great & # 39; MORE (DN.Y.) Both stated that they would not agree to allocate additional funds to the wall.
Congressional leaders meeting Friday at the White House for the second time this week in a Pelosi meeting called "contentious" and Trump called "productive".
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