The White House has moved to clarify a social media post by President Donald Trump that had appeared to halt the immediate distribution of partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, stating that the administration is complying with a federal court order and is actively working to issue the payments.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Tuesday that the President’s comments were directed at future SNAP payments and the ongoing government shutdown, not the current court-mandated release of emergency funds.
“We are complying with the Court’s order, we are getting the payments out the door as quickly as we can,” Leavitt said. “The president is referring to future SNAP payments. He does not want to have to keep tapping in to an emergency fund in depleting it.”
Compliance Amidst Procedural Warnings
Leavitt emphasized that the USDA has already sent guidance to states for processing the partial benefits, but echoed prior administration warnings about the difficulty of the process.
“In the case of a catastrophe in this country, he wants to have those funds preserved as they should be, and he’s made it very clear. Democrats should reopen the government,” Leavitt added, reiterating the administration’s position that the shutdown’s continuation forces the depletion of the program’s contingency fund.
The clarification follows a sworn court filing on Monday, in which the administration committed to using $4.65 billion from the SNAP contingency fund to provide reduced benefits. This commitment was made in response to a federal judge’s order in Rhode Island requiring the emergency funds to be used.
Delays and Funding Shortfall Persist
Despite the White House confirmation of compliance, significant issues remain:
- Payment Delays: The payment distribution is still expected to take “a few weeks to up to several months,” according to Deputy Under Secretary Patrick Penn’s declaration, due to the complex, one-time recalculation of reduced benefits required by state administration systems.
- Contingency Fund Depleted: The $4.65 billion payment will completely exhaust the contingency fund, leaving “no funds… for new SNAP applicants certified in November, disaster assistance, or as a cushion against the potential catastrophic consequences of shutting down SNAP entirely,” Penn warned.
- $4 Billion Shortfall: The administration continues to face a $4 billion gap compared to the $8 billion needed for full November SNAP funding, having declined to use additional tariff revenue (Section 32 funds) to protect money reserved for child nutrition programs.
The President’s initial post had stated that benefits “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government… and not before!” The subsequent clarification by Press Secretary Leavitt seeks to differentiate the immediate, court-ordered partial payment from the broader political fight over the program’s future funding during a sustained government shutdown.
READ: Scott Jennings Grills Florida Dem Rep. Moskowitz On CNN Over ‘No’ Vote That Risked Benefits
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