The government shutdown is continuing and, now, raising stakes for families across the country the US Department of Agriculture has said in a notice on its site that federal food aid will not go out November 1. Amid this, the words of Charlie Kirk on US government shutdowns has resurfaced.
Kirk, a staunch supporter, had spoken out during the 2019 shutdown. The Donald Trump ally and Turning Point USA founder was fatally shot and killed when attending an event at the Utah Valley University on September 10.
The person who shared Kirk's words, wrote “Charlie was right about this then and he’s right about it now!,” adding, “Stand your ground @realDonaldTrump , we have your back!!”.
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Kirk, meanwhile, in the 2019 post had written: “President Trump is winning this shutdown fight. Democrats have no message, and are refusing to open government because they are fighting for foreign nationals that want to flow endlessly into our country. Stand your ground President Trump, we have your back!”.
Kirk's words have resurfaced at a time when many online are claiming there will be riots if food stamps don't go out. “They’ll riot first, then figure it out. The entire food stamp program was always about creating dependency on the government,” a person wrote on X. Another said, “Seems like they really wanted a military mutiny, but I guess they're planning on settling for a food stamp riot.”
{{/usCountry}}Kirk's words have resurfaced at a time when many online are claiming there will be riots if food stamps don't go out. “They’ll riot first, then figure it out. The entire food stamp program was always about creating dependency on the government,” a person wrote on X. Another said, “Seems like they really wanted a military mutiny, but I guess they're planning on settling for a food stamp riot.”
{{/usCountry}}Yet another person added, “No more food stamp, let them riot, then call out the militia. Solve the problem permantly [permanently].”
What to know about Nov SNAP benefits
The latest move to halt food aid in November comes as the Trump administration tries to get Democrats to walk back on the shutdown. The current government has also moved ahead with layoffs amid the shutdown, which began on October 1, and is currently the second-longest on record. Some 4,000 federal employees were hit with layoff notices.
The new USDA notice, meanwhile, comes after the Trump govt said it would not tap around $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), going into November. The SNAP program helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA notice says. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”
As per the Trump govt, Democrats are to blame. Meanwhile, the latter say they will not agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. On the other hand, Republicans say Democrats must first agree to reopen the government before any negotiation can take place.
Democratic lawmakers have written to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins over the food aid issue, requesting to use contingency funds to cover the bulk of next month's benefits.
But a USDA memo that surfaced Friday says “contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits.” The document says the money is reserved for such things such as helping people in disaster areas. It mentioned storm Melissa, which has strengthened into a major hurricane, as an example of why it’s important to have the money available to mobilize quickly if there is a disaster.
States run by Republicans and Democrats will be impacted by this move and has concerned both parties.
While some states have pledged to keep SNAP benefits flowing even if the federal program halts payments, there are questions if U.S. government directives may allow that to pass. The USDA memo also says that states would not be reimbursed for temporarily paying the cost out of their pocket.
Other states are telling SNAP recipients to be ready for the benefits to stop. Arkansas and Oklahoma, for example, are advising recipients to identify food pantries and other groups that help with food.
(With AP inputs)