USDA announces no federal SNAP benefits will be delivered over government shutdown, blames Democrats

The US Department of Agriculture warned Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will not go out on Nov. 1 — disrupting food access nationwide as the government shutdown drags on.

The department posted a notice with the grim announcement after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep SNAP benefits flowing into November, raising the stakes for nearly 42 million Americans who receive assistance through the program every month.

The announcement blamed Senate Democrats for holding up the program also known as food stamps.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA notice said.

“At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats,” the statement continued.

SNAP benefits were safe in October because states received federal funding before the government shutdown began on Oct. 1.

The Trump administration has pinned the dire impacts of the shutdown on Democrats, arguing the party will not agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

“They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance,” the USDA notice raved.

Democratic lawmakers have written to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins requesting that the government use contingency funds to cover most of November’s benefits.

A USDA memo that surfaced Friday maintained that “contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits,” and cited major hurricane Melissa as a reason to reserve funds for people in disaster areas.

Some states already announced plans to suspend SNAP payments next month, while others have agreed to temporarily foot the bill for benefits.

“If you have accrued SNAP benefits from previous months on your account, use those funds now to buy shelf-stable foods that can last through November and beyond,” the Arkansas Department of Human Services states on its website.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom deployed 30 National Guard troops at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank this week to sort fresh produce and packaged meals ahead of the benefit disruption, KABC reported.

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency to provide food benefits to SNAP beneficiaries and encouraged residents to support local nonprofits by donating food.

Other states have encouraged residents to locate food banks and stock up on goods to carry them through the next month.

The USDA memo also maintained that states promising their residents a continuation of benefits would not be reimbursed for doing so.

Lower-income families who qualify for SNAP receive debit cards loaded each month by the federal government to load up on groceries at participating stores.

The average monthly benefit is $187 per person, often handed out to those with incomes at or below the poverty level.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) blasted Republicans and President Trump Sunday for not agreeing to negotiate and end the shutdown on CNN’s “State of the Union.

“The reality is, if they sat down to try to negotiate, we could probably come up with something pretty quickly,” Murphy said.

“We could open up the government on Tuesday or Wednesday, and there wouldn’t be any crisis in the food stamp program.”

With Post wires