Approximately 42 million people in the United States are at risk of losing basic food aid in November due to the federal government shutdown, CNN reported.
The television station noted that one in eight Americans receives food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program's reserve fund is approximately $ 6 billion, but the total amount of payments to individuals will increase to $ 8 billion in November. Thus, the US Department of Agriculture could face the possibility of completely depleting the fund in two weeks.
The partial shutdown of the US federal government began at midnight on October 1 due to a lack of funding.
If the shutdown of the federal government continues, the US administration could resort to extreme measures and permanently cancel many programs supported by Democrats, Kevin Hassett, head of the White House National Economic Council, said on Fox News.
“We will see what happens if the government does not reopen next week. I do not know how long it will last. Republicans may have to resort to extreme measures“, Hassett warned, blaming the administration's Democratic political opponents for the shutdown.
“We can stop almost everything except defense programs, because our national security is important. "But the president can take the Democrats' favorite things and stop them forever. It's legal, but he hasn't done it yet," Hassett noted.