Food aid used by more than 40 million Americans will not be distributed starting in November due to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Ultimately, the well is dry,” the department said in a statement on its website, which also blamed Senate Democrats for the impasse.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) is used by one in eight Americans and plays a vital role in many grocery budgets.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration refused to tap into a contingency fund that would have continued benefits, saying the money was needed to deal with potential emergencies such as natural disasters.
Democrats condemned President Donald Trump for refusing to use the reserve fund.
“This is perhaps the cruelest and most illegal offense ever perpetrated by the Trump administration,” Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Angie Craig said in a joint statement Friday.
They also criticized Trump for providing aid to Argentina and building a new ballroom at the White House during the shutdown.
However, the contingency fund would only cover about 60% of a month’s benefits, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a think tank focused on policies to help low-income families.
In a letter sent Friday to the Agriculture Department, House Democrats said there remains “significant funding available in Snap’s contingency reserve – which Congress is providing for precisely this reason – that can be used to fund the bulk of the November benefits.”
They asked Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to release the reserves and then transfer other available funds in her department to fully fund the month’s program.
In a memo obtained by US media, Rollins said the reserve could only be used for “real emergencies”, mainly natural disasters.
Earlier, in its published shutdown plan, his department said it would prevent a small number of employees from being furloughed to operate the program, noting that Congress had created “multi-year contingency funds” to ensure states could continue distributing benefits.
Snap works by giving people reloadable debit cards that they can use to buy essential groceries.
A family of four receives on average $715 (£540) per month, according to the CBPP, which works out to just under $6 (£4.50) per day per person.
States administer the programs, with much of the funding coming from the federal government.
Several states have pledged to use their own funds to cover any shortfall, but the federal government has warned they will not be reimbursed.
Some, including Massachusetts — where a million people are expected to lose their benefits — have said they don’t have enough money to make up for the shortfall.
Many states are working with Snap residents to try to locate charitable pantries and find alternative sources of meals, and California is deploying its National Guard to help distribute food.
The U.S. government shutdown entered its 26th day on Sunday, making it the second longest shutdown in history.
