The Trump administration must tell a federal judge by noon Monday how it plans to comply with an order requiring payment of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, according to NBC News. The order from U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island directs the administration to make full payments by the end of the day Monday or partial payments by Wednesday.
Tens of millions of Americans have gone without November food assistance as the shutdown nears the longest in U.S. history. Food banks nationwide have reported surging demand, with large distribution drives in Texas and California supplying families with produce and frozen goods.
Democratic leaders from 25 states sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture, arguing that the agency must use contingency funds to keep SNAP running. The department said those funds were reserved for natural disasters, not regular benefits. McConnell rejected that defense, citing 2019 guidance from Trump’s first term confirming contingency funds could be used during a shutdown.
A separate ruling from U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Massachusetts found the administration’s suspension of SNAP benefits likely unlawful. She ordered officials to consider reduced November payments and report back to the court by Monday.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told Fox News that contingency funds “won’t even cover about half” of November’s costs but said the administration is exploring every option to continue benefits.
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