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Federal Judge Rules Against USDA's Plan to Halt Food Assistance Program

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A federal judge in Massachusetts has ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's plan to pause a food assistance program for 42 million people was illegal, but gave the Trump administration until Monday to respond before deciding on a motion to force the benefits to be paid despite the ongoing government shutdown. In a similar case, a Rhode Island federal judge ordered the USDA to continue payments and granted a temporary restraining order, ensuring that millions of children, seniors, veterans, and families will continue to receive essential food assistance while the case proceeds.

Key Takeaways:

  • A federal judge in Massachusetts, Indira Talwani, ruled that the USDA's plan to halt the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was illegal, despite the ongoing government shutdown.
  • The judge ordered the administration to say by Monday whether it would provide at least partial benefits for November, and stated that the reserve fund was sufficient to continue SNAP benefits.
  • The law creating the program mandated that benefits continue, Talwani wrote, and the administration's conclusion it cannot provide SNAP funding was "erroneous".
  • A Rhode Island federal judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration's unlawful effort to halt SNAP during the shutdown, ensuring continuity of essential food assistance.
  • The USDA has been ordered to continue payments and vendors have been directed to add money to debit-like cards issued to program beneficiaries.
  • The 25 states that sued included Massachusetts, California, Arizona, Minnesota, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state, Wisconsin, Kansas, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, as well as the District of Columbia.
  • The advocacy group Democracy Forward praised the move, stating that it ensures "millions of children, seniors, veterans, and families will continue to receive essential food assistance while the case proceeds."
  • Both judges involved, Indira Talwani and John James McConnell Jr., were appointed by former President Barack Obama.

Statistics:

  • 42 million people rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food assistance.
  • $6 billion was held in a contingency account by the USDA, which was deemed sufficient to continue SNAP benefits by Judge Talwani.
  • The program was set to stop providing federal funds on Saturday, due to Congress not appropriating money for the fiscal year.
  • The cutoff would have been effective for November benefits, affecting low-income households across the United States.
  • 25 states and the District of Columbia sued the USDA, in addition to a coalition of Democratic states.

Sources:

  • (https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71783393/26/commonwealth-of-massachusetts-v-united-states-department-of-agriculture/)
  • (https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/shutdown-double-whammy-snap-food-benefits-ending-and-federal-workers-go-unpaid)

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