Trump Is the Only President to Defund SNAP in 61 Years: Columbus Dispatch

The nation is preparing for the impact of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments lapsing on Nov. 1 as the federal government shutdown enters its second month, Sophia Venziano reported for the Columbus Dispatch.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) noted in a memo that it will not use a $5 billion contingency fund to support the program during the shutdown.

Similarly, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Head Start will also experience a lapse in funding if the shutdown continues.

For the first time in the program’s 60-year history, SNAP recipients will not receive their monthly payments that help them purchase food as a result of the shutdown.

The federal program serves 42 million Americans, including 1.4 million Ohioans. SNAP was made permanent in 1964 and began operating nationwide in 1974. During previous government shutdowns, the program continued operating through contingency funds.

Following its announcement that the funding “well has run dry,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) noted in a memo that it will not use a $5 billion contingency fund to support the program during the shutdown.

The USDA memo said these funds are reserved for Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) benefits and cannot be used to cover the upcoming lapse in funding.

It also noted that states cannot cover the cost of benefits and later be reimbursed, as SNAP is a federal program.

This policy change by the USDA goes against decades-long precedent, according to a report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The current shutdown is already in its 32nd day.