What are the benefits of SNAP and what happens during a shutdown?
SNAP helps 41.7 million Americans put food on the table, but benefits could stop starting Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown.
Jimmy Kimmel is putting words into action.
After criticizing President Donald Trump on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Nov. 3, the late-night host, who gave a monologue about hosting “the most ill-timed and tone-deaf Halloween party imaginable,” announced he would open a property behind his Hollywood studio to the public as a food donation center.
Of course, his ABC show couldn’t help but go after the president even further by naming this community service the “Jimmy Kimmel Live Big Beautiful Food Bank” (a parody of the old “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, which reallocated government spending and passed tax reform).
“Reductions in SNAP benefits create uncertainty for America’s children, seniors, and families,” Kimmel and his show wrote in a Nov. 4 social media post. “If you live in Los Angeles, please come and donate food. If you don’t, please consider supporting your local food bank.”
The center, which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 6901 Hawthorne Ave. in Los Angeles, requests non-perishable food items such as low-carb cereal, protein bars, rice, low-sodium soup, crackers, trail mix, diapers and hygiene products.
Jimmy Kimmel slams President Trump over Gatsby-themed Halloween party
The Trump administration has been ordered by two courts to defund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), putting low-income Americans at risk of losing benefits in November. But it’s unclear how soon people will start receiving food stamps and how much money they’ll receive, or if they won’t.
On November 3, Kimmel criticized the president for celebrating at a time when many Americans’ lives are at a turning point, noting the irony of hosting a party with a theme tied to a book about class inequality.
“Hours before millions of low-income Americans lost their SNAP benefits, President Trump flew to Mar-a-Lago to throw a huge Halloween party with a Great Gatsby theme, a theme only available to people who have never read The Great Gatsby,” Kimmel said.
The government shutdown entered its 36th day on November 5, making it the longest in U.S. history. Millions of Americans continue to be affected by unpaid work, travel delays, and other disruptions to daily life.
Democrats are refusing to vote in favor of ending the government shutdown until Republicans reverse cuts they made this summer that removed millions from Medicaid and ended insurance subsidies that expire at the end of the calendar year. These subsidies make it cheaper for middle-class and low-income Americans to purchase health insurance on the exchange.
Without these, you can expect significant interest rate increases of up to 300%.
Contributor: Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY
