The administration of US President Donald Trump announced on Monday impending cuts in food aid provided to nearly 42 million American citizens, starting this November. This decision is due to the ongoing government shutdown, which has entered its first month.
In legal documents, a US Department of Agriculture official revealed that the government intends to use $4.65 billion from an emergency fund to cover payments for the SNAP program, the largest of its kind in the United States. The official indicated that this amount will only cover approximately 50% of the assistance owed to eligible families.
It is worth noting that the Department of Agriculture had previously announced its intention to suspend program payments entirely on November 1, due to the financial deficit resulting from the ongoing government shutdown.
It is worth mentioning that the SNAP program supports the livelihood of one in eight Americans and costs the government approximately eight billion dollars per month.
