More than two dozen states have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after it said it cannot legally fund food stamps throughout the government shutdown. The lawsuit asks a federal judge to force Washington to use emergency reserves to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to The New York Times.
The lawsuit comes after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Friday that it would not use emergency funds to preserve food stamps. The department previously stated that it could reprogram reserves to prevent benefit cuts.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
The lawsuit
Officials from 25 states and the District of Columbia filed the lawsuit, which criticizes the Trump administration for its sudden reversal. It argues that the federal government had a legal obligation to maintain food stamps by any means necessary.
The lawsuit specifically asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to rule on a motion that would force the administration to tap contingency funds to pay November SNAP benefits.
According to The Times, the fund is estimated to contain $5 billion to $6 billion and would be enough to provide at least partial payments to roughly 42 million enrollees.
“The USDA has funds to stop people from starving, but instead, it’s playing politics. It’s wrong,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said on X.
Washington D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb posted his own comment, saying, “We will do everything we can to prevent DC families from going hungry.”
In an earlier memo, the Department of Agriculture said that the contingency funds needed to back SNAP benefits were “not legally available” during a government shutdown. It reportedly said the reserves can be tapped only in emergencies, such as natural disasters or to backfill deficits to appropriated benefits.
The Times reports roughly 1 in 8 people in the U.S. receive food stamps. That averages out to approximately $187 a month, costing the federal government about $8 billion monthly.
Lack of funding
The administration’s decision not to tap funds for SNAP differs from that of another federal nutrition initiative directed to women, infants and children, referred to as WIC, which is currently funded by tariff revenue. The administration also tapped reserves to pay military officials throughout the shutdown.
SNAP is not the only program facing funding problems. The National Head Start Association — a nonprofit that provides early learning to low-income children and families — said several of its grants will end Friday, eliminating funding for 134 programs.
Government shutdown continues
As the government shutdown heads toward a fifth week, the issue among senators remains the same. Republicans want a so-called clean continuing resolution that extends Biden-era appropriations. Democrats won’t sign onto any resolution that doesn’t undo the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” changes to Obamacare tax credits and Medicaid reimbursement limitations.
