ATLANTA — People in Georgia who rely on the federal government for food may or may not start receiving money Wednesday, amid head-spinning pronouncements from Washington.
An estimated 1.4 million Georgians receive subsidies for groceries through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which the administration of President Donald Trump sought to freeze during the ongoing government shutdown.
The Trump administration reversed course Tuesday morning, saying payments would resume, then appeared to reverse course again later in the morning.
First, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued guidance to states telling them that SNAP recipients would receive their deposits this month after all — albeit at half the normal amount — because of federal judges’ orders last week.
“Due to the limited availability of Federal funding and orders from two Federal courts, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is reducing SNAP maximum allotments to 50 percent,” the USDA said, adding that states should “take immediate action” to implement the new plan.
Then, Trump published a post on his Truth Social platform before noon that appeared to undo that plan. SNAP benefits “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government,” he wrote.
The Trump administration announced late last month that it would freeze SNAP funding because of the refusal by Democrats in Congress to approve a continuing resolution to fund the federal budget.
Democrats then blamed Republicans for refusing to negotiate terms for approval, mainly the restoration of tax credits for Affordable Care Act health insurance coverage. Premiums are expected to skyrocket in January without those credits.
It is unclear whether SNAP recipients will get their deposits on the normal monthly schedule, which starts Wednesday in Georgia.
SNAP benefits are normally distributed to Georgia recipients on a rotating basis beginning on the fifth day of each month and continuing on odd dates through the 23rd of each month.SNAP benefits are normally distributed to Georgia recipients on a rotating basis beginning on the fifth day of each month and continuing on odd dates through the 23rd of each month.