The Trump administration has moved to keep part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) running even as the federal government shutdown stretches into its 34th day. The decision came after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use a $4.65 billion contingency fund to pay November SNAP benefits. That amount could cover roughly half of the money that eligible households normally receive.
President Donald Trump announced the plan on Truth Social, saying he did not want “Americans to go hungry because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.” He told his lawyers to ask the court for a clarification on how SNAP can be legally funded during the shutdown.
The USDA’s filing explains that the contingency fund will be used for the November benefits, but the administration still claims it lacks the authority to tap the full $5‑to‑6 billion emergency funds needed to cover the program’s $8 billion bill. Another judge in Massachusetts weighed in, suggesting that withholding SNAP benefits starting November 1 could be unlawful, though he did not force the administration to release the money.
SNAP, the country’s largest anti‑hunger program, serves nearly 42 million Americans—most of whom live at or below the federal poverty line. The outcome of these legal battles will determine whether full or partial benefits reach households this month as lawmakers wrestle over how to end the long shutdown.
Source: ianslive
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