In that case, here’s a quick rundown of how the current shutdown will affect the things you put in your mouth, by the agency responsible for their safety and production. 1: I am impoverished. Can I get food stamps? Definitely through October; maybe through the end of FY 2014. Though Tom Colicchio and Sam Kass are raging against the House GOP for defunding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in their version of the federal budget, the food stamp program will be funded through the end of October as required by the Recovery Act. If possible, $2 billion in contingency funding could be used to fund state administration costs until the end of the 2014 fiscal year. 2: I am not poor, but I consume food on a daily basis. Will my food be inspected? Yes. Sort of. Maybe. 2a: Can you be more specific? Certain inspection services are considered so essential that they’re legally exempt from a federal government shutdown. Meat, egg, and poultry inspection will continue on a daily basis. Grain inspections will continue too, but only if the user fees paid by farmers can fund the inspection program. In short, your oatmeal might kill you with salmonella before your meat does…if the cows don’t starve before that. (Welcome to Backwards Land.) Oh, and the Food and Drug Administration is curtailing its activities to inspections, recalls, investigations, and preventing people from buying products that could kill them. 3: My child goes to public school. Will my child get free lunch? Yes. Technically, the federal school lunch (and breakfast) program will be funded through the end of October, but after that, food suppliers will continue to supply schools, eventually getting reimbursed for whatever they send to schools to feed the children. (Good thing pink slime is so cheap?) 4: What if I’m a pregnant woman, or infant child? We assume that you’re referring to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. You’re SOL, unless you happen to live in a state that has a budget covering the administrative costs of the federal program. 5: Will people inspect the restaurants I eat in? Restaurant inspections are funded by state government budgets and will remain unaffected.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 23:41:25 +0000
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