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Food assistance

Federal Judges Order Trump Administration to Use Backup Funds for Food Stamps

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Federal judges have ruled that the Trump administration must use backup funds to keep food aid running despite the ongoing government shutdown. The rulings, made in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, came after the administration had said it could not use the $5.5 billion contingency fund to pay for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. The program, which feeds about 42 million Americans a month, is set to lose funding on Saturday. Despite the delays, anti-hunger experts and Democratic leaders celebrated the rulings, arguing that millions of Americans on SNAP should now receive some sort of relief.

Key Takeaways:

  • Two federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts have ruled that the Trump administration must use backup funds to keep food aid running despite the ongoing government shutdown.
  • The $5.5 billion contingency fund is not enough to pay for a full month of SNAP benefits, which costs the federal government about $9 billion monthly.
  • States and their contractors need a few days' notice before sending food assistance directly to people who rely on them, meaning millions of Americans will still not get food assistance benefits on Saturday.
  • Anti-hunger advocates on Friday condemned the administration's claims, arguing that USDA has funded SNAP through previous government shutdowns and can do so now.
  • G. William Hoagland, senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center, stated that the main takeaway is that the administration keeps changing its positions, with uncertainty within the administration about the policy.
  • USDA's Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had argued that the contingency fund for SNAP "can only flow if the underlying appropriation is approved," but this argument has been disputed by law professor David Super, who stated that there is "nothing in either the Food and Nutrition Act or the appropriations acts that supports" this position.
  • A coalition of 26 Democratic state attorneys general and governors, who initially sought an immediate order forcing the administration to release the contingency funds, ended up with a ruling that would allow the administration to decide by Monday whether it will authorize the release of reduced SNAP benefits for November.
  • Democrats argue that withholding the contingency funds violates federal spending laws, while the administration maintains that it is following the law, but anti-hunger advocates claim that USDA has previously funded SNAP through shutdowns and can do so now.

Statistics:

  • The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) feeds about 42 million Americans a month.
  • SNAP benefits cost the federal government about $9 billion monthly.
  • The $5.5 billion contingency fund is not enough to cover a full month of SNAP benefits.
  • Millions of Americans still won't get food assistance benefits on Saturday because states and contractors need a few days' notice before sending aid directly to recipients.
  • 26 Democratic state attorneys general and governors brought a lawsuit against USDA in Massachusetts.

Sources:

  • "USDA's contingency fund can be used to fund the program, despite the administration's claims otherwise," said David Super, a law professor at Georgetown University.
  • "We urge USDA to reconsider its decision and provide food assistance to those who need it most," said Eric Mitchell, president of the Alliance to End Hunger.
  • "The main takeaway is that the administration keeps changing its positions, with uncertainty within the administration about the policy," said G. William Hoagland, senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
  • Federal judge Jack McConnell in Rhode Island ordered USDA to distribute the contingency funds "timely, or as soon as possible, for the November 1 payments to be made."
  • U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Massachusetts ruled Friday that the administration's refusal to release the contingency funds is likely unlawful.
  • A coalition of cities, nonprofits, unions, and small businesses brought a lawsuit against USDA in Rhode Island.
  • The administration had argued that the shutdown ties its hands entirely, but the Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that Congress had the authority to appropriate money for the full term of a fiscal year, even if there is a shutdown.

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