Two federal judges in separate decisions ruled on Friday that the administration of President Donald Trump must continue to fund the nation’s biggest food aid program, known as SNAP.
The Department of Agriculture, which administers the program, had planned to suspend payments on November 1.
It said it could no longer keep funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which costs around $8.6 billion (€7.45 billion) a month, due to the federal government shutdown.
The Trump adminstration had argued it was legally unable to use emergency funds to cover these benefits.
“The well has run dry,” the department posted on its website last week, prompting the filing of separate lawsuits.
What did the judges rule about SNAP funding?
A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled on Friday that the administration’s decision not to tap into $5.25 billion (€4.55 billion) in emergency funds to pay November benefits was arbitrary.
He said the agriculture department must distribute the emergency money “as soon as possible.” If the money was insufficient, he said, the agency should determine if money from a separate fund with around $23 billion could be used.
Meanwhile, a judge based in Boston, Massachusetts, also ruled that the administration was wrong in saying it was legally barred from using the contingency funds to pay for SNAP benefits during the shutdown.
Both judges ordered the government to report back to them on Monday on how it will comply with their decisions.
What is the SNAP food aid program?
The SNAP initiative provides financial assistance to low-income households for purchasing food. The monthly benefits are loaded onto debit cards for use in grocery stores.
It’s a major piece of the social safety net in the United States. It helps around 1 in 8 Americans, or 42 million people, buy groceries.
It pays an average of about $187 per person per month. Many of those recieving SNAP have jobs but don’t make enough to cover all basic costs.
The agriculture department says nearly 16 million children received benefits in 2023.
How has President Trump reacted to the rulings?
Hours after the rulings, Trump said on social media that his lawyers are asking courts “to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible,” he wrote.
“If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding,” Trump wrote.
When will November SNAP payments be made?
It remains unclear when November payments will be issued and at what level.
The process of loading the debit cards often takes one to two weeks.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
