The Trump administration put an additional $500 million into the Farmers to Families Food Box, allowing the stopgap hunger-relief program to run through the end of the year. More than 110 million of the boxes have been delivered but the program has faced charges of inequitable distribution of aid.
With the new funding, the administration has put a total of $4.5 billion into the program, which was created last spring. Under the program, contractors buy surplus food at the farm level, package it and deliver the boxes to nonprofit organizations, such as food banks, for distribution to hungry people; a win-win-win, according to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.
While the administration puts the spotlight on the food box program, it has rejected a temporary increase in SNAP benefits. Negotiations with the administration over coronavirus relief remain active, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday. House Democrats included a 15-percent SNAP Increase in their so-called Heroes Act.