food assistance

There are several levers federal and state officials could pull to keep 700,000 Tennesseans from losing food aid. But as of now, it seems no one is touching them.

The continued government shutdown could interrupt food aid for 700,000 Tennesseans, putting beneficiaries at risk of missed meals and impossible finances.

Funding for food assistance benefits next month isn’t coming, Gov. Andy Beshear said, due to the federal government shutdown. Funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program is also delayed.

On Monday, President Donald Trump released his proposed annual budget, which is a vision for what he wants to see spent and not spent this year. One major…