Half the Country Sues Trump for Using Shutdown to Slash SNAP Funding

Nearly two dozen states are suing the Trump administration for failing to recover SNAP benefits amid the current government shutdown.

About 42 million Americans, or about one in eight people, who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are at risk of going hungry after Nov. 1, when benefits expire.

“At the end of the day, the well is dry,” reads one message explicitly blaming Democrats on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website.

There remain two options for saving this essential social welfare program: a quick fix (even if unlikely and, apparently, politically) undesirable) a resolution to the deadlock in Congress, or a big change to keep the program running until next month.

A coalition of 23 attorneys general and three governors is fighting for the latter, arguing that the USDA not only has the funds to continue feeding Americans through SNAP through November, but also has “both the authority and legal duty” to do so.

“Let’s be clear about what’s happening: For the first time ever, SNAP benefits will not be available to the millions of low-income people who depend on them to put food on the table. » said California Attorney General Rob Bonta, one of four attorneys general co-leading the trial. “As the holidays approach, we see grocery prices continue to rise and food banks face unprecedented demand. We are taking a stand because families will experience hunger and malnutrition if the Trump administration gets its way.”

The agency held about $6 billion in contingency funds as of Sept. 30, according to a USDA study. Lapse of financing plan which recognized Congress’s intent to keep SNAP benefits fully operational during the government shutdown. Days later, USDA officials ordered states to indefinitely pause the rollout of November benefits as the federal branch studies the potential reality of distributing its emergency funds.

When states demanded a response after weeks of silence, the USDA announced it would suspend SNAP benefits indefinitely. In a separate noteUSDA officials reversed course on their plan to forfeit funding, saying they were actually not allowed to use the $6 billion contingency fund to provide SNAP benefits for fear the agency would need the money to deal with a major natural disaster such as a hurricane or tornado.

The government was shut down for more than 27 days on Tuesday, making it the second longest federal shutdown in U.S. history. This situation was only overcome by a 35-day shutdown between 2018 and 2019 that occurred during Donald Trump’s first term.