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A federal judge in Boston on Friday ruled that the Trump administration must continue to fund SNAP as the government shutdown threatens food aid benefits for millions of Americans, ordering the White House to outline a plan to provide at least partial assistance starting Nov. 1.
Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court Massachusetts said the administration’s suspension of benefits “is contrary to law,” noting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is statutorily required to use previously appropriated SNAP contingency funds when necessary and has discretion to use other available funds.
Benefits for roughly 42 million Americans, including about 1.1 million in Massachusetts and nearly half of New Bedford households, are at risk as the federal government faces its second-longest shutdown in history.
The case in Boston comes after a coalition of 25 states, including governors and attorneys general, sued this week to compel the administration to release the contingency funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Just minutes after Talwani’s order, a federal judge in Rhode Island issued a similar ruling, also requiring the Trump administration to release the contingency funds, CNN reported.
Talwani has a temporary restraining order under advisement. Court documents require the administration to inform the court by Monday whether it will authorize at least partial benefits for November, and whether it will use only contingency funds or additional appropriations.
The Trump administration has maintained it will not tap billions in reserve funds, arguing that emergency SNAP dollars “are only allowed to flow if the underlying program is funded” by Congress, according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
“Defendants’ suspension of SNAP benefits is contrary to law,” Talwani wrote. “At core, Defendants’ conclusion that USDA is statutorily prohibited from funding SNAP because Congress has not enacted new appropriations for the current fiscal year is erroneous. To the contrary, Defendants are statutorily mandated to use the previously appropriated SNAP contingency reserve when necessary and also have discretion to use other previously appropriated funds.”
States have scrambled to respond to the impending Nov. 1 cutoff. Massachusetts, which distributes $240 million in SNAP payments monthly, has moved to provide some emergency aid. Gov. Maura Healey announced Thursday she will advance a $4 million monthly payment to food banks and that $1 million in private donations has been raised for food pantries. Advocates are calling for the state to use its rainy day fund, while Senate Republicans suggested other state appropriations could be tapped to feed families.
New Bedford Light staff contributed to this story.
I guess we have do have King or Queen. That should tell congress who is boss around here.
Senator Warren and Senator Markey are using the weakest among us as a lever to hurt their arch enemy. This is ugly and sadistic. Warren and Markey- GO YOUR JOB.
This is a legislative issue, remember separation of powers? All of you anti Trumpers write your congressmen. They are the only ones who can fix this. You hired them to work so send them back to work.
Read the article. It’s not about MA Senators holding up funding. It’s a White House decision to cut off SNAP recipients.
Wake up people! This is what happens when you “depend” on the Government to “feed” you!
They “givith” and then “taketh” away. This is Socialism. Be independent and self reliant, use the free food programs as a crutch not a life time benefit.
This is about the Democrats keeping the illegals here in the country to build up their voter base. And Trump isn’t giving in. The minority of elected officials in our country are the culprits, Democrat Senator’s. It’s a shame that these Senator’s are making the struggling people who depend on SNAP Benefits suffer. SHAMEFUL.
You know what’s a shame? The shame is a system that was put into place to help the American people to not go hungry or starve as they did… before, during, and after the 250 years of founding. Instead of pointing fingers all who were appointed should do their jobs. They are not going home hungry..so they do not know or they forgot the sacrifices of their ancestors so they would not starve.