(WSVN) - As the partial government shutdown continues, citizens may soon begin to see the effects ripple into other areas, including tax refunds and food stamps.
According to the Washington Post, food stamps for 38 million Americans would face severe reductions and tax returns may be delayed if the shutdown continues into February.
The shutdown affects thousands of federal programs and agencies, including the Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Department of Treasury.
The SNAP program is automatically renewed each year. However, it requires annual funding from Congress.
The Washington Post reports that Congress has not allocated funding for the SNAP program past January, and reserves don’t cover all of February’s payments. After February, there is no more funding at all for the program.
It is unclear how the agency would address the potential shortage.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says House Democrats plan to start approving individual bills that would open departments that have been shutdown, starting with the Treasury to ensure Americans receive their tax refunds on time.
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