"Two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump's administration must continue to fund SNAP, the nation's biggest food aid program, using contingency funds during the government shutdown. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation's social safety net - and it costs about $8 billion per month nationally."
"Democratic state attorneys general or governors from 25 states, as well as the District of Columbia, challenged the plan to pause the program, contending that the administration has a legal obligation to keep it running in their jurisdictions. The administration said it wasn't allowed to use a contingency fund with about $5 billion in it for the program, which reversed a USDA plan from before the shutdown that said money would be tapped to keep SNAP running."
Two federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ordered the administration to continue funding SNAP during the government shutdown using contingency funds, allowing it to decide whether to fund benefits partially or in full for November. The USDA had planned to suspend SNAP payments, citing inability to fund benefits amid the shutdown. SNAP serves about one in eight Americans and costs roughly $8 billion per month. Democratic attorneys general or governors from 25 states and the District of Columbia sued to prevent the pause, arguing a roughly $5 billion contingency fund and a separate $23 billion reserve must be available. In Providence, Judge John J. McConnell required use of contingency funds and ordered existing work requirement waivers to remain in effect, seeking a progress update by Monday.
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