Nearly two dozen states are suing the Trump administration for failing to maintain SNAP benefits amid the ongoing government shutdown.
An estimated 42 million Americans – about one in eight people – participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will remain hungry after the benefits expire on November 1.
“Bottom line: the well has dried up,” the message said. message openly blaming Democrats on the USDA website.
That leaves two options for rescuing the critical Social Security program: a quick (though unlikely and obviously political) unwanted) resolving the gridlock in Congress or making some changes to keep the program running until next month.
A coalition of 23 attorneys general and three governors is fighting for the latter, arguing that not only does USDA have the funds to continue feeding Americans on SNAP through November, but USDA has “both the authority and the legal obligation” to do so.
“Let's be clear about what's happening: For the first time in history, 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 is one of four attorneys general leading the lawsuit. “As the holidays approach, we see food 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 had about $6 billion in reserve funds as of Sept. 30, according to the USDA. Termination of the financing plan this reaffirmed Congress' intent to maintain the full functionality of SNAP benefits even after a government shutdown. Days later, USDA officials ordered states to indefinitely pause the rollout of November benefits as the federal agency examined the potential reality of distributing its emergency funds.
When states demanded answers after weeks of silence, the USDA announced it was suspending SNAP benefits indefinitely. In a separate memoUSDA officials reversed course on their defunding plan, saying they weren't actually allowed to use the $6 billion reserve fund to provide SNAP benefits so the agency wouldn't need the money to deal with a major natural disaster such as a hurricane or tornado.
As of Tuesday, the government had been closed for more than 27 days, making it the second-longest federal shutdown in U.S. history. It was surpassed only by the 35-day shutdown between 2018 and 2019, which occurred during Donald Trump's first term.
