A federal judge in Rhode Island today ordered the Trump administration to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fully benefits for the month of November, rejecting the government’s plan to provide only partial assistance.
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr.’s ruling on Thursday came in response to a challenge brought by cities and nonprofits after the administration announced it would only cover 65% of the maximum monthly benefit, relying on $4.65 billion in emergency funding.
The lawsuit argued that a partial payment was insufficient and would cause severe hardship for recipients.
In his decision, Judge McConnell rebuked the administration for its handling of the crisis, which stemmed from a federal government shutdown that had initially threatened to halt all SNAP payments for November.
“The defendants failed to consider the practical consequences associated with this decision to only partially fund SNAP,” McConnell said. “They knew that there would be a long delay in paying partial Snap payments and failed to consider the harms individual who rely on those benefits would suffer.”
The Trump administration had initially stated last month that it would not pay any November benefits due to the federal shutdown. Last week, two federal judges ordered the government to pay at least partial benefits using an emergency fund, leading the administration to first offer half coverage, which was then revised up to 65%.
The cost of fully funding the national SNAP program is typically over $8 billion per month. The administration must now find the additional money beyond the $4.65 billion in emergency funds to comply with the order and fully fund the benefits for the millions of Americans who rely on the program for food assistance.
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