Texas officials are warning that monthly food assistance for 3.5 million residents could be cut off starting in November if the federal government shutdown continues past October 27, as reported by The Texas Tribune.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), informed states that the program is only funded through October.
In Texas alone, SNAP delivers over $614 in food benefits monthly to low-income families, affecting 1.7 million children. SNAP benefits typically range from $200 to $400 per household per month, with an average of $379, according to August data collected by The Texas Tribune.
Organizations like the San Antonio Food Bank, which already serve over 105,000 people weekly, are preparing for a surge in need. However, leaders caution that food banks cannot fully replace government assistance.
“We’re going to be doing all we can, but there’s no way that the food bank can bail out the federal government,” shared Eric Cooper, president and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank to Kens5. According to Cooper, SNAP provides nine meals for every one they can supply.
Other federal aid programs, including the Temporary Assistance to Need Families (TANF), the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Medicaid, and the Medicaid and the Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP), are not currently affected by the shutdown.
The federal government entered a shutdown on October 1 after Congress failed to approve a funding agreement. The last major shutdown, in 2018–2019, lasted 35 days.
