Millions of people throughout the country are worried they may not be able to afford to eat soon if the government shutdown does not end.
The food stamp program, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, which helps supply food to 38 million Americans, may not have money to feed its recipients if the shutdown continues past February.
Congress has not allocated funding for SNAP beyond January. Though the USDA — the department in charge of SNAP — said Tuesday it would give states money for food stamps through February, officials said they were not sure if food stamp benefits would continue past that point if the shutdown drags into March, according to The Washington Post.
Corby Kummer, food critic and senior editor at The Atlantic, told Boston Public Radio Tuesday that panic over the issue is only going to spread in the coming weeks if resources are not allocated for SNAP.
“This is one of those issues that hits people you see everyday at the grocery store ... it becomes a very personal issue,” Kummer said.
This article was updated at 8:45 a.m. on Jan. 9 to reflect the Trump administration's announcement on Jan. 8 that it would give states money for food stamps for February.
