LOADING ERROR LOADINGWASHINGTON — The Trump administration has found creative ways to cover military pay during the ongoing government shutdown, but says it can’t do the same for federal food benefits. During the last shutdown, in 2019, the Trump administration made extra effort to distribute SNAP benefits as a funding standoff entered its second month. In a striking reversal, the Trump administration now says its hands are tied. As a result, next month, more than 20 million households representing 42 million people will miss out on SNAP benefits averaging about $350 per household. (In 2013, the USDA implemented an across-the-board reduction in SNAP benefits without any technical problems coming to public attention.)
