If you aren’t confused enough by the back and forth between the federal government and the courts regarding SNAP, here’s yet another wrinkle for Virginians.
The state has received notification that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, will pay 65 percent of monthly benefits this week.
Virginia, who stepped in temporarily to make sure 850,000 residents didn’t go hungry, is now pausing its funding to comply with government regulations.
It is anticipated that the partial federal benefits will be processed by the state no later than Thursday, Nov. 13.
Virginia has already issued 25 percent of SNAP benefits to residents last week. It is unknown when or if the remaining 10 percent of benefits owed will be distributed to EBT cards.
The Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance program was set up to provide funding to SNAP recipients in the Commonwealth on a weekly basis until the government reopens.
The shutdown has been the longest in U.S. history at 40 days.
Virginia issued 25 percent of SNAP benefits to residents last week. It is unknown when or if the remaining 10 percent of benefits owed will be distributed to EBT cards.
The Trump administration has continued to fight a court order that required it to fully fund SNAP benefits. Trump has continued to push back even having the U.S. Supreme Court intervene in the full payment of benefits.
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President Donald Trump claims that the pushback is to ensure the government maintains “liquidity;” something that doesn’t sit well with many Americans after Trump approved somewhere between $20 billion and $40 billion for Argentina to help stabilize its currency.
One expert said the move by the president has “no economic rationale.”
“You lend to them. They usually don’t pay back. So you face a situation — this is what’s been going on with the IMF for the past 20-something years. And so what happens is you either have to keep lending to Argentina in order to keep them afloat and in order for you to repay yourself, or you stop lending to Argentina, in which case you throw them into crisis,” Monica de Bolle of the Peterson Institute for International Economics told PBS.
“So with the U.S., it’s kind of a no-win situation here, because the moment the U.S. steps in to provide Argentina with this lifeline, it either has to commit to staying in Argentina and keep providing Argentina lifelines if it faces further problems down the road, or the U.S. at some point will have to step back.
“And when they do, Argentina will fall into a crisis and guess who will be blamed? The U.S.”
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Virginia pauses aid, feds to pay 65 percent of SNAP this week
