Summary
The Trump administration informed a judge that using funds from Child Nutrition Programs to completely pay for SNAP benefits in November could endanger school lunches for millions of children. The government is facing challenges during the federal shutdown, which has caused difficulties in fully funding these nutrition programs. The administration decided against shifting funds to avoid negatively impacting child nutrition programs further.
Key Facts
- The Trump administration mentioned possible risks to school lunches if funds from Child Nutrition Programs are used for SNAP benefits.
- SNAP, run by the USDA, assists about 42 million Americans each month.
- The shutdown means only partial SNAP payments can be made in November, requiring around $4.65 billion to cover half the usual benefits.
- The USDA decided not to use other emergency funds to avoid gaps in child nutrition programs.
- Approximately 29 million children depend on these programs for affordable school lunches.
- Full funding of SNAP benefits in November would need at least $4 billion from Child Nutrition Programs.
- Congress could allocate more funds for nutrition programs, but that is uncertain.
- Shifting funds now could result in a permanent loss for child nutrition programs for the fiscal year, as current law restricts reallocation until 2027.
