On Saturday, the network explained that one in eight Americans receives food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food vouchers to those in need. According to the report, the average monthly assistance is $188 per person.
The new fiscal year in the United States began on October 1st, but Congress failed to pass the budget, leading to a shutdown of many government agencies that rely directly on congressional funding.
President Donald Trump had previously announced that he might use the government shutdown as a means to enforce significant cuts in staff and salaries, blaming the Democrats for the financial stalemate. According to the report, the White House is leveraging the current situation to cancel some programs that are not favored by Republicans.
