A coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia has sued the Trump administration over its plan to halt funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a food aid program utilized by over 40 million low-income Americans.
The lawsuit seeks to compel the administration to release a $6 billion emergency contingency fund for the program, also known as food stamps. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees SNAP, has announced it will not tap into the reserve fund, allowing benefits to cease in November. The department argued the money may be needed for other emergencies, such as natural disasters, stating on its website, “the well has run dry.”
Led by Democratic attorneys general, the suit argues that withholding the contingency funds is unlawful and will prevent millions of Americans from affording groceries. The legal filing warns that “shutting off SNAP benefits will cause deterioration of public health and well-being,” noting it would be the first time in the program’s history that these emergency funds were not disbursed.
In response to the lawsuit, the USDA blamed the funding lapse on Democrats involved in the ongoing federal government shutdown. The agency challenged them to decide whether to “hold out for the Far-Left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticized the administration’s position. “While Donald Trump parades around the world trying to repair the economic damage he’s done with his incompetence, he’s denying food to millions of Americans who will go hungry next month,” he said. “It’s cruel and speaks to his basic lack of humanity.”
Even if the contingency fund is released, it would only cover about 60% of one month of benefits, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. On average, a family of four receives $715 per month through the program, which provides recipients with reloadable debit cards for essential groceries.
While states administer SNAP, the federal government provides most of the funding. Several states have pledged to use their own funds to cover a potential shortfall, but the federal government has warned they will not be reimbursed. Other states, including Massachusetts, where one million people are expected to lose benefits, have said they cannot afford to make up the difference.
States are now working to connect residents with charity food pantries and alternative meal sources, and California has deployed its National Guard to help distribute food.
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