With the partial government shutdown entering its third week, there is no evident end in sight.
According to experts, if the government is not fully reopened and functional before February, millions of American including thousands who receive the (SNAP) benefits in NJ could have their assistance temporarily disrupted.
Officials say The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP at the federal level, received $3 billion in emergency funding by Congress during the partial government shutdown but these funds are expected to deplete in February.
Published reports form CBS News said "In September 2018, the last month for which data is available, $4.7 billion in SNAP benefits were disbursed throughout every state. If the shutdown continues through March, there will be no remaining funding for SNAP, endangering food security for millions of Americans".
The United States Department of Agriculture officials said other programs are in even more immediate danger than SNAP. The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are not receiving federal funds at all during the shutdown, but "can continue to operate at the State and local level with any funding and commodity resources that remain available.
"WIC is provided for pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age five who fall within the poverty index and are at "nutritional risk." The WIC program granted nearly $5 billion to every U.S. state and territory in 2018, as of September" according to information given to CBS News.
Officials say New Jersey residents who benefit from both SNAP and WIC would be particularly affected in February.
USDA said Child Nutrition Programs, including School Lunch, School Breakfast, Child and Adult Care Feeding, Summer Food Service and Special Milk would continue operations through February.
**Info Credit:** CBS News