The White House budget office has apparently rescinded its controversial freeze on federal financial aid, at least for now.
On January 27, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget issued a “temporary pause” on all Federal financial assistance programs effective January 28 at 5:00 pm “to provide the Administration time to review agency programs and determine the best uses of funding for those programs consistent with the law and the President’s priorities.”
A follow up memo sent to agencies on January 28 directed agency leaders to provide information for targeted federal programs listed on a spreadsheet being considered for possible elimination. Puerto Rico’s Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) was explicitly included on that list; the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides assistance to beneficiaries stateside was not.
In a nutshell, although benefits to stateside recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would not have been impacted by the Trump Administration’s directive to freeze federal financial assistance, Puerto Rico’s parallel Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) was explicitly on the chopping block.
“The reason for this is to ensure that every penny going out the door is not conflicting with the executive orders and action that this president has taken,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Leavitt insisted that the freeze would not affect federal assistance that goes directly to individuals, such as Social Security and Medicare benefits as well as SNAP.
Puerto Rico had been included as part of the federal nutrition assistance program but was dropped several decades ago. The U.S. territory now receives nutrition benefits as a capped grant that is not typically subject to federal oversight or supported in tangential areas such as technical assistance and job search support.
Many in Congress have urged reinstating Puerto Rico back into the federal program. The funding freeze announcement has uncovered a new vulnerability of NAP: piecemeal policy implementation that leaves Puerto Rico at risk of (perhaps unintentional) total elimination from the program. Full equality in the program may be preferred not just for Puerto Rico, but also for U.S. federal policy makers who seek a simplified system. If smaller government is a goal, perhaps wrapping Puerto Rico in with the states may enable policymakers to implement the policy of protecting individual benefits without having to engage in smaller individual efforts.
USDA Secretary: NAP to SNAP Transition “in the foreseeable future”
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