In a definitive ruling on Friday, a federal judge mandated that the federal government must tap into its contingency funds to ensure the continued distribution of SNAP benefits, affecting millions who depend on this assistance. The move comes as a response to the suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the ongoing federal government shutdown for the month of November. This suspension was deemed "likely unlawful" by the court.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, joined by a coalition of other attorneys general and governors, previously sued the USDA following their announcement that SNAP benefits would be suspended. According to the statement obtained by the Attorney General's Office, "Millions of families rely on SNAP — or food stamps — to survive." Attorney General James claimed the failure to dispense these significant funds, as unlawful, stating: "The administration tried to use the shutdown as an excuse to withhold food assistance from vulnerable Americans, but the court has made clear that the law requires those benefits to continue."
With an urgent need to address food insecurity among low-income households, the court's intervention highlights the critical role SNAP plays. The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts found that the USDA had breached federal law by not utilizing its congressionally appropriated contingency fund, which exists specifically for situations like the current funding lapse. In a separate ruling, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted a nationwide temporary restraining order (TRO), reinforcing the importance of restoring SNAP benefits as rapidly as possible.
As per the court's direction, the federal government is required to formulate and communicate its plan for deploying these emergency funds to the court by Monday, November 3. Faced by the urgency of the matter, the expectation, as per reports from the Attorney General's Office, is that the administration's plans will be reported back on the state of play with regards to ensuring that no disruption to food assistance occurs under its watch.
The Attorney General Office emphasized the commitment of her office, declaring: "We will keep fighting until every family in New York and across the nation can put food on the table."
