WASHINGTON: The Trump administration announced that it will partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as the federal government shutdown entered its 34th day and neared a record for the longest in US history.
"I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT. Therefore, I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible, " US President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Friday.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a court filing on Monday that a total of $4.65 billion in a contingency fund will be used for November SNAP benefits, which could cover 50 per cent of eligible households' current allotments, Xinhua news agency reported.