Two federal judges ruled Friday that the Trump administration must pay benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, despite the month-long government shutdown. The nearly simultaneous rulings came just a day before the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) planned to freeze payments for more than 40 million Americans.
SNAP serves about one in eight Americans and is the largest food aid program in the country. The judges ruled that the administration must use more than $5 billion in contingency funds to pay benefits in November. The USDA says it’s not enough to pay full benefits for the month, which would cost the government more than $9 billion.
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The USDA had argued that the shutdown prevented the payment of any SNAP benefits after the end of October. USDA officials also contended they could use emergency funds only to fill a gap in appropriated regular monthly benefits.
They also said Congress wouldn’t authorize reimbursing the USDA when a federal spending plan is ultimately approved.
What did the judges rule?
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell of Rhode Island ruled that the administration must fund the program by using at least the contingency funds. He asked the White House for an update on his ruling by Monday.
McConnell also ruled that the USDA must continue to honor work requirement waivers. The department ended existing waivers that had exempted older adults, veterans and other groups from work requirements to receive benefits.
In Boston, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani similarly ruled that the USDA has to pay SNAP benefits and called the planned suspension “unlawful.” She also ruled that the department must update the court by Monday on the progress of the funding.
“This court has now clarified that Defendants are required to use those Contingency Funds as necessary for the SNAP program,” she wrote in her opinion.
Both rulings will likely face appeals from the Trump administration.
Reactions to the ruling
Democratic lawmakers responded quickly after the rulings. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said there was now no excuse not to fund the food assistance program.
“It is purely a cruel political decision, not a legal one,” she said. “They should immediately act — as the court has required — to ensure food assistance continues to go to families in need.”
The Trump administration has yet to comment on the rulings.
Groups planning for no SNAP benefits
Food banks and other assistance groups began increasing their stockpiles, anticipating that more people would need food when SNAP benefits expired. Several states have also made budget changes to fund at least some SNAP benefits.
On Wednesday, Democrats tried to pass a bill that would allow the government to fund the program during the shutdown. However, it was blocked by Republicans who said Democrats were using it to “provide political cover.”
“We’re not going to let them pick winners and losers,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. “It’s time to fund everybody.”
