Democrats voted for the 13th consecutive time<\/a> to keep the federal government closed Tuesday. The Senate, which needs 60 votes for the government funding measure to pass, rejected the GOP-backed bill with a 54-45 vote.<\/p>\nAn announcement went out via text message last week to SNAP beneficiaries warning them of the imminent pause in the program, prompting a flood of videos angrily denouncing the move.<\/p>\n
Some have vowed to charge into their local food store, fill their cart and leave without paying. TikTok.com\/@youngboyyy39<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m gonna be stealing like it ain\u2019t no tomorrow \u2026 I\u2019m gonna have one of my cousins with me that\u2019ll punch your ass so hard you\u2019ll think a Jet2Holiday hit your b\u2014h ass if you think ain\u2019t gonna walk out that store,\u201d a reference to a UK-based budget air travel provider.<\/p>\n
Another woman blamed President Trump for the closure.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrump done f\u2013ked up. Let\u2019s just make it clear, ok? He\u2019s talking about people not getting food stamps in November, and probably not December. He better get ready, because it\u2019s about to go down,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat you gonna learn is you don\u2019t play with black people\u2019s food stamps, OK? So get ready, \u2019cause people are about to just start taking s\u2013t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Others blamed President Trump directly for the benefits pause, which comes as the partial government shutdown enters its second month. TikTok<\/p>\n
SNAP benefits have never been cut off before due to a government shutdown. During previous shutdowns in 2018 and 2019, the US Department of Agriculture paid out the distributions early to avoid any delays in payments.<\/p>\n
The USDA announced last weekend that it would not tap into $6 billion in contingency funds to keep SNAP funded for another month. <\/p>\n
The Trump administration said earlier this month that it would divert revenue from tariffs to continue WIC and some other programs for women and children.<\/p>\n
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Shortly after the USDA\u2019s SNAP decision, 26 states including New York filed suit accusing the department of illegally cutting off<\/a> food assistance, and seeking a temporary restraining order to force it to use contingency funds to keep the program solvent.<\/p>\n\u201cSNAP is one of our nation\u2019s most effective tools to fight hunger, and the USDA has the money to keep it running. There is no excuse for this administration to abandon families who rely on SNAP, or food stamps, as a lifeline,\u201d embattled New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe federal government must do its job to protect families.\u201d<\/p>\n
If SNAP benefits do cease as announced, it would mark the first lapse in the program in its 60-year existence.<\/p>\n
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