The US government went into shutdown on 1 October after Republicans and Democrats in Congress failed to pass appropriations funding government services. Photo: ANNA MONEYMAKER / AFP
People are currently working without pay in the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the threat of food benefits halting looms as the United States shutdown reaches the 30-day mark.
The US government went into shutdown on 1 October after Republicans and Democrats in Congress failed to pass appropriations funding government services.
It has meant the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, is expected to stop being funded from the beginning of next month.
It follows the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the programme, has said it does not have the money to pay US$8 billion for the benefits in November.
US territory Guam has plugged the hole by approving US$13.1 million to keep food programmes afloat for November.
Department of Public Health and Social Services deputy director Amanda Shelton told Guam lawmakers during a special meeting last week to address shutdown concerns that food stamps and benefits for women, infants and children (WIC) were at risk.
Francine Salas, chief human services administrator for the Division of Public Welfare said she did not know when federal food programmes would be back up and running.
"I cannot even tell you when we would anticipate any of the shutdowns to end… we truly do not know and in the meantime, people are hungry and people need to get food to feed their family."
In the CNMI, RNZ Pacific's correspondent Mark Rabago said the shutdown has meant many people in the territory have been forced to stop working, while others are just not getting paid.
"In fact, I talked to somebody a friend of mine, he works for US Citizenship and Immigration Services, and he said although he's still working, he's not receiving a pay cheque, so that's how bad it is. He'll just get back pay whenever that's available, so it's messed up."
The US territory is already in a bad economic place.
"Budget is low, tourists are not coming and then of course our governor died last August or July so it's been a tough year, tough few months for the CNMI and this shutdownisn't giving us good vibes coming into thanksgiving, into Christmas."
Meanwhile, CNMI Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds has urged the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to authorise the use of unspent Commonwealth Nutrition Assistance Program funds to sustain food assistance during the ongoing US federal government shutdown.
In a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, King-Hinds appealed for flexibility that would allow the CNMI to use carryover funds from prior-year appropriations to continue benefits for the 5,500 households and 14,000 individuals who rely on NAP each month.
"The CNMI program currently has unspent balances from prior-year appropriations that remain legally available, pending USDA approval to carry them forward," King-Hinds wrote. "Allowing these funds to be used would ensure that benefits continue to reach eligible households through the EBT system without interruption."
He noted that the program's suspension has already forced the CNMI government to mull reallocating $3.9 million in local funds to prevent families from going without food aid-an unsustainable measure that highlights the urgency of USDA action.
In the Marshall Islands, RNZ Pacific correspondent Giff Johnson said Compact of Free Association money is still flowing.
"Just last week, almost $45 million in health and education and other related funding was provided by the US under the compact as well as the third annual $200 million contribution to the compact trust fund," Johnson said.
He said for the Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia the biggest impact would be on Micronesians living in the US who rely on food benefits.
"42 million people in the US are going to lose these benefits and frankly, my understanding is quite a lot of Micronesians, Marshallese and Palauans qualify for that and depend on it."
