National Nutrition Programs and the Government Shutdown

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As we learned at the ODA Public Policy day in Columbus, it is important for dietitians to have a thorough understanding of politics, government, and public policy.  With this in mind, I looked into how the government shutdown would impact certain national nutrition programs.  According to the USA Today article “66 Questions and Answers About the Government Shutdown”:

·      “The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is funded through the Recovery Act and from funds that don't expire for another year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.”
·      “No money would be available to pay the administrative costs of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. But because it’s administered by states, there may be state funds available.”
·      “Schools are reimbursed for these costs [of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)] on a monthly basis and are allowed to carry over funds from the previous fiscal year. The USDA expects most schools will be able to continue providing meals through October.”

SNAP, NSLP, and WIC are large, important nutrition programs, and if the government shutdown is extended for a long period of time, it could have a very negative impact on many underprivileged individuals.

Below are two examples of the many articles recently published which look at the shutdown’s effect on WIC.

Article 1
Article 2

-Ashley

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