WASHINGTON, 27 October (H.S.): The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Sunday that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food aid to more than 40 million Americans, will be suspended beginning in November due to the ongoing government shutdown.

The move places immense pressure on low-income families and has ignited a fierce political battle over who is to blame for the impending crisis.

In a notice posted on its website over the weekend, the USDA stated, Bottom line, the well has run dry, and explicitly blamed Senate Democrats for the funding impasse. This follows the Trump administration’s decision not to utilize a multi-billion dollar contingency fund to cover the shortfall, with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins arguing the reserve is for true emergencies such as natural disasters.

Democrats have sharply condemned the decision as a manufactured crisis. Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro and Angie Craig called it perhaps the most cruel and unlawful offense the Trump administration has perpetrated yet, arguing that the contingency fund exists for precisely this type of situation and should be released.

The halt in benefits, set to begin November 1, will affect one in every eight Americans. An average family of four receives approximately $715 per month through the program. With federal funds cut off, states are scrambling to respond. While some have pledged to use their own money to cover the gap, the federal government has stated it will not reimburse these expenses.

Other states, like Massachusetts, have said they do not have sufficient funds to make up for the loss, while California is deploying its National Guard to assist with food distribution.The government shutdown, which began on October 1, entered its 26th day on Sunday, making it the second-longest in U.S. history.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar