US will not use contingency fund to keep food aid flowing, memo says

The Trump administration is rejecting the idea of using roughly US$5 billion in contingency funds to keep food aid flowing into November amid the government shutdown, according to a Department of Agriculture memo that surfaced on Friday. States temporarily covering the cost of benefits next month will not be reimbursed, the memo says.

Democratic lawmakers and various advocacy groups have been calling on the administration to use the contingency fund to provide partial benefits into November through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme, commonly referred to as SNAP.

But the two-page document states that “contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits”.

The prospect of SNAP benefits running out as a result of the shutdown has become a major concern in the states. Lawmakers from both political parties are blaming the other for the hardship that would ensue. The programme helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries.

The document states that the contingency fund is reserved for such things as helping individuals in disaster areas. It cited Tropical Storm Melissa, which could become a major hurricane in the coming days, as an example of why it was important to have funds available to mobilise quickly in the event of a disaster. The document was first reported by Axios.

The document blames Democrats for the government shutdown that began on October 1, and states that November SNAP benefits would be paid on time “if not for Congressional Democrats blocking government funding”.