The U.S. House of Representatives has passed an appropriations bill to fund the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Included in this bill is funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), school meals, and other critical nutrition programs, which were set to lose funding next month due to the partial government shutdown. Earlier this week, USDA officials announced they would be able to fund these programs through February.
The American Heart Association (AHA) expressed support for the bill, noting that the funding was critical for federal programs critical to low-income people who rely on them to keep food on the table for their families.