The U.S. Department of Agriculture will not use any of the more than $5 billion in emergency funding it maintains to provide food assistance to needy families during the government shutdown, nor will it reimburse states that try to provide such benefits themselves, according to an agency memo obtained by Scripps News on Friday.

Trump administration officials argue they’re unable to use the funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during a lapse in appropriations, and instead are holding onto them for true emergencies like “hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, that can come on quickly and without notice.”

“SNAP contingency funds are only available to supplement regular monthly benefits when amounts have been appropriated for, but are insufficient to cover, benefits,” t

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