Federal workers have already seen the pains of the government shutdown — with some 800,000 people being either furloughed or working without pay. Soon, though, the government shutdown could endanger SNAP food stamp benefits, CBS News reported. That could put the food source of some 42 million Americans at risk.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has enough money for the month of January, and there is another $3 billion in emergency funds for February. But, that is not enough to pay the estimated $4.8 billion bill for the month. President Trump threatened on Friday that the shutdown could continue for months or years.
Dottie Rosenbaum, a senior fellow for the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, told NBC News that the February budget gap amounts to about $90 taken from each of the 19 million households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The average monthly payment that families receive is about $245.
[For more on this story by JOSEPH D. LYONS, go to https://www.bustle.com/p/food-...gh-february-15652775]
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