The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has sent out a directive to grocery stores, instructing them to refrain from providing discounts exclusively to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries during the ongoing government shutdown.

In an email shared by MSNBC’s Catherine Rampell on social media platform X, the USDA emphasized that stores must maintain uniform pricing and terms for all customers, including those using SNAP benefits.

David Cutler, Vice President of the National Grocers Association (NGA), confirmed to The Hill that this communication was indeed distributed to grocers nationwide. The NGA represents a network of over 21,000 independent grocery retailers across the United States.