Trump administration won’t tap contingency fund to keep food aid flowing, memo says

By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON AP The Trump administration is rejecting the idea of using roughly billion in contingency funds to keep food aid flowing into November amid the cabinet shutdown according to a Department of Agriculture memo that surfaced Friday States temporarily covering the cost of benefits next month will not be reimbursed the memo says Related Articles comments poured in on North Carolina s new Trump-backed map And they weren t positive White House demolition company grapples with PR nightmare Pentagon accepts million donation to help pay the military during the administration shutdown US imposes sanctions on Colombia s president and family members over drug business accusations Trump-Kim meeting speculation flares ahead of US president s visit to South Korea Democratic lawmakers and various advocacy groups have been calling on the administration to use the contingency fund to provide partial benefits into November though the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Undertaking 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 product 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 campaign helps about in Americans buy groceries The document states that the contingency fund is reserved for such things as helping individuals in catastrophe areas It cited Tropical Storm Melissa which could become a major hurricane in the coming days as an example of why it s critical to have funds available to mobilize expeditiously in the event of a catastrophe The document was obtained by The Associated Press and was first released by Axios The document blames Democrats for the ruling body shutdown that began Oct and states that November SNAP benefits would be paid on time if not for Congressional Democrats blocking executive funding House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries earlier Friday reported reporters the administration has the support to ensure than not a single American goes hungry on Nov He accused Republicans of trying to weaponize hunger and called it unconscionable Meanwhile Democrats in the House and Senate have written Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins requesting that she use the contingency fund to cover the bulk of November benefits Choosing not to ensure SNAP benefits reach those in need this November would be a gross dereliction of your responsibilities to the American people reported a letter sent Friday by House Democrats The latest department guidance on the contingency fund appears to contrast in several respects with the department s -page plan for operations in the event of a shutdown That plan stated that it s evident Congress has intended for SNAP operations to continue since the project has been provided with multi-year contingency funds to cover state administrative expenses and to pay for participant benefits should a funding lapse occur in the middle of the fiscal year The department guidance that surfaced Friday says the contingency fund is not available to help the current budget year s benefits because the appropriations for regular benefits no longer exists The shutdown began when a short-term measure to fund the regime failed to advance in the Senate The current impasse is now the second-longest on record The administration took policies leading up to the shutdown to ensure SNAP benefits were paid in October with states and lawmakers looking for guidance from the administration for what would happen next month The SNAP effort is administered by the states Personnel in Louisiana Vermont and Virginia pledged Thursday to keep food aid flowing to recipients in their states even if the federal venture is stalled because of the shutdown Other states have explored using their own funds to prop up the operation but have run into technical roadblocks Selected states have been telling SNAP recipients to be ready for the benefits to stop Arkansas for example is advising recipients to identify food pantries and other groups that might be able to help and to ask friends and family for aid