Federal Judges Order Trump Administration to Tap into Emergency Funds for SNAP Food Stamp Benefits During Shutdown
A pair of federal judges has ruled that the Trump administration must continue paying Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food stamp benefits during the ongoing government shutdown, forcing the administration to tap into contingency funds to avoid a lapse in benefits.
The decision comes after two dozen states and the District of Columbia sued the administration over its decision to cut off payments due to the shutdown. The states argued that the move was unlawful and would deprive millions of Americans of essential food assistance, which is crucial for protecting against food insecurity and hunger.
In Massachusetts, Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the government must use the emergency contingency funds to make at least partial payments to the states administering SNAP programs. She gave the administration until Monday to report back on its plans to do so.
Similarly, in Rhode Island, another federal judge granted a temporary restraining order, ordering the US Department of Agriculture to distribute contingency funds and report back to the court by noon on Monday.
The ruling rejected the government's argument that the $5 billion contingency fund could not be used to cover the shortfall. Instead, Judge Talwani wrote that the administration is statutorily mandated to use the contingency reserve when necessary and has discretion to use other previously appropriated funds.
SNAP benefits provide eligible families with an average of $187 a month on a prepaid card for food purchases, which many rely on as their main source of money for food. The Trump administration said payments were due to expire on Saturday because of the shutdown, now on its 31st day.
President Trump has vowed to provide funding for SNAP benefits if given the legal direction by the court. In a statement, he blamed Democrats for causing any delay and claimed it would be his honor to fund the benefits, just like he did with military and law enforcement pay.
The decision from the judges comes amid concerns over public health and well-being, as state officials argued that shutting off SNAP benefits would lead to food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition, associated with numerous negative health outcomes.
A pair of federal judges has ruled that the Trump administration must continue paying Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food stamp benefits during the ongoing government shutdown, forcing the administration to tap into contingency funds to avoid a lapse in benefits.
The decision comes after two dozen states and the District of Columbia sued the administration over its decision to cut off payments due to the shutdown. The states argued that the move was unlawful and would deprive millions of Americans of essential food assistance, which is crucial for protecting against food insecurity and hunger.
In Massachusetts, Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the government must use the emergency contingency funds to make at least partial payments to the states administering SNAP programs. She gave the administration until Monday to report back on its plans to do so.
Similarly, in Rhode Island, another federal judge granted a temporary restraining order, ordering the US Department of Agriculture to distribute contingency funds and report back to the court by noon on Monday.
The ruling rejected the government's argument that the $5 billion contingency fund could not be used to cover the shortfall. Instead, Judge Talwani wrote that the administration is statutorily mandated to use the contingency reserve when necessary and has discretion to use other previously appropriated funds.
SNAP benefits provide eligible families with an average of $187 a month on a prepaid card for food purchases, which many rely on as their main source of money for food. The Trump administration said payments were due to expire on Saturday because of the shutdown, now on its 31st day.
President Trump has vowed to provide funding for SNAP benefits if given the legal direction by the court. In a statement, he blamed Democrats for causing any delay and claimed it would be his honor to fund the benefits, just like he did with military and law enforcement pay.
The decision from the judges comes amid concerns over public health and well-being, as state officials argued that shutting off SNAP benefits would lead to food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition, associated with numerous negative health outcomes.
this is a big deal... gotta give credit where credit's due tho, those federal judges are on point 
not sure what trump would've done without them but yeah, i'm glad we got this sorted out, can't have ppl going hungry cuz of politics 
the fact that they had to tap into emergency funds shows just how desperate it was... and those numbers for SNAP benefits are crazy $187 a month is basically nothing, especially when u gotta feed an entire fam 
But let's be real, when it comes to feeding the poor, who doesn't want that on their resume? 
President Trump's got some explaining to do, and by extension, his whole party. The fact remains, this shutdown is all about ideology - more control over people's lives and less government intervention 
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, I gotta say, this ruling is all about setting a precedent for future administrations to take from their own emergency funds whenever they don't wanna pay out a certain benefit 
. I mean, who needs an extra $5 billion in contingency funds anyway? It's not like we're gonna need that kind of money anytime soon 
. The fact that the Trump administration was planning to cut off payments due to the shutdown is just plain cruel 
. I mean, who wouldn't want to help keep people fed during a time when they're already struggling? 
Thankfully, the judges are on it and the contingency funds will be tapped into to prevent any lapse in benefits 
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Just got word from a super reliable source 
that Trump's team is freaking out about this one, TBH 
they didn't expect the judges to rule in favor of the states like that 
. I mean, can you blame them? Millions of people are counting on these food stamp benefits 
because of this government shutdown. I mean, who can even imagine not having access to food stamps? It's like, come on, folks! We need our priorities straight - we gotta take care of the most vulnerable among us first. The idea that these states and D.C. were going to be cut off from funds is just crazy talk 
. I'm glad there's some adult supervision happening here. These judges are making sense by using those emergency funds, it's like they're saying "we gotta keep our people safe" 
about this whole thing. I mean, come on, $5 billion contingency fund? That's like, a drop in the ocean compared to what they're making off that shutdown 
. I get it, there needs to be some kind of solution, but it feels like they're just winging it 
but also a huge burden on taxpayers 
the government shutdown is getting out of hand 
. It's crazy that the gov't thought it could just cut off benefits like that. I mean, $187 might not seem like a lot, but for some families, it's all they got 
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. I'm just glad we have some good judges on our side 
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. i mean, $5 billion contingency fund might not be enough but at least it's something and the fact that judges are forcing the admin to use it is a huge win 
.