The Trump administration said on Tuesday it would keep providing food assistance to poor Americans in February despite a partial U.S. government shutdown, but warned it had no solution in place for March if the funding shortfall continues.
The announcement provides a reprieve for the roughly 40 million people whose food stamps have been threatened by the shutdown, triggered last month by President Donald Trump’s demand that lawmakers include billions of dollars for his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall in any legislation to fund some government agencies.
The partial shutdown has affected a broad swatch of the federal government, including national parks, airline security screening, housing assistance and the release of economic data. About 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed or are working without pay.
