States Sue Trump Administration Over Food Stamp Suspension During Shutdown

Strategic Insights -

As the US government shutdown enters its seventh day, a coalition of 25 states is fighting to keep food stamps flowing to the nearly 42 million families and children who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The suit, led by New York, California, and Massachusetts, argues that the USDA has the authority and a legal duty to tap into emergency reserve funds to distribute food benefits. The lawsuit comes as food banks and pantries across the country prepare for a surge of hungry people if federal food aid is paused.

Key Takeaways:

  • The lawsuit, co-led by New York, California, and Massachusetts, seeks to force the USDA to use its emergency reserve funds to distribute food benefits to the nearly 42 million families and children who rely on SNAP.
  • The plaintiffs argue that the federal government is obliged by law to maintain food benefits to low-income households who rely on the program.
  • SNAP is the nation's largest nutrition assistance program, serving roughly one in eight low-income Americans at a cost of approximately $8 billion per month.
  • The USDA's contingency fund is estimated to contain approximately $6 billion, which the plaintiffs argue could be used to fund SNAP benefits during the shutdown.
  • The expiration of SNAP benefits has emerged as a major pressure point in the shutdown standoff between Democrats and Republicans.
  • The plaintiffs cite a memo from the agriculture department stating that contingency funds were "not legally available to cover regular benefits" during the shutdown, which appears to contradict the department's lapsed funding plan.
  • The plan, released in late September, stated that Congress's "evident" intent was for SNAP operations to continue during a government shutdown and pointed to "multi-year contingency funds" that could be tapped in the event the closures dragged on.

Statistics:

  • 42 million: The number of families and children who rely on SNAP.
  • $8 billion/month: The cost of SNAP benefits to the federal government.
  • $6 billion: The estimated amount in the USDA's contingency fund.
  • 1 in 8: The percentage of low-income Americans who rely on SNAP.
  • 25: The number of states involved in the lawsuit.
  • 7: The number of days the US government has been shut down.

Sources:

  • The New York Attorney General's Office
  • The California Attorney General's Office
  • The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office
  • US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  • New York Times: "States Sue Trump Administration Over Food Stamp Suspension During Shutdown"
  • Reuters: "States Sue Trump Administration Over Suspension of Food Aid During Shutdown"