Trump administration must use contingency funds for SNAP payments amid shutdown, judges rule

"Two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump's administration must continue to fund SNAP, the nation's biggest food aid program, using contingency funds during the government shutdown. The judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island gave the administration leeway on whether to fund the program partially or in full for November. The rulings came a day before the U.S. Department of Agriculture planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program"

"Democratic state attorneys general or governors from 25 states, as well as the District of Columbia, challenged the plan to pause the program, contending that the administration has a legal obligation to keep it running in their jurisdictions. The administration said it wasn't allowed to use a contingency fund with about $5 billion in it for the program, which reversed a USDA plan from before the shutdown that said money would be tapped to keep SNAP running."

"In Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell ruled from the bench in a case filed by cities and nonprofits that the program must be funded using at least the contingency funds, and he asked for an update on progress by Monday. Along with ordering the federal government to use emergency reserves to backfill SNAP benefits, McConnell ruled that all previous work requirement waivers must continue to be honored."

Two federal judges ordered that SNAP be funded using contingency funds during the government shutdown, and they allowed the administration flexibility to fund the program partially or fully for November. The USDA had planned to freeze Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments, saying it could no longer keep funding due to the shutdown. SNAP serves about one in eight Americans and costs about $8 billion per month. Democratic state attorneys general or governors from 25 states and the District of Columbia challenged the pause, arguing a roughly $5 billion contingency fund and an additional $23 billion fund are available. A Rhode Island judge required use of emergency reserves and the continuation of prior work-requirement waivers, and requested a progress update by Monday.

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