Federal Fight Over SNAP Funding Continues, States…
Millions of Americans relying on food help stay caught in political limbo after the Trump administration told states to pay full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) advantages for November, even as it requested the Supreme Court to block the order requiring those funds.
Source: Spencer Platt / Getty
The HuffPost experiences that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a memo on Friday saying it was “working towards implementing November 2025 full benefit issuances” in response to a federal court order. But just hours later, the Justice Department requested the Supreme Court to intervene and stop those funds from going out.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson granted an emergency keep, briefly blocking full benefit distributions until a decrease appeals court guidelines on the case.
The Legal Tug of War Over Food Aid
According to HuffPost, the Supreme Court’s involvement marks the latest twist in a “crazy back and forth” over food advantages during what has turn out to be the longest authorities shutdown in U.S. historical past.
At the middle of the battle is whether or not the administration can withhold food assist because of the lapse in congressional appropriations. The USDA initially said it couldn’t pay November’s advantages because the shutdown cut off funding. But after Democrats and nonprofit organizations sued, a choose ordered the company to use a $4.6 billion contingency fund to issue at least partial funds.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. went additional, ordering full funds by tapping further funds. The Trump administration appealed immediately, calling the injunction “unprecedented.” In HuffPost, Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the Supreme Court the ruling “makes a mockery of the separation of powers.”
Trump’s Mixed Messaging
President Donald Trump has fueled confusion with contradictory statements about SNAP funding.
HuffPost states that Trump said there can be “no SNAP benefits until Democrats agree to reopen the government,” only for White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to later declare “he didn’t imply it.”
Despite publicly insisting he would guarantee Americans get their food help, the administration’s court filings argue the other, urging judges to block orders that would power the federal government to pay the full quantity.
According to the administration, paying out the advantages now would drain funds that can’t be recovered.
“Once those billions are out the door, there is no ready mechanism for the government to recover those funds,” Sauer said in a submitting, accusing some states of making an attempt to “seize what they might of the company’s finite set of remaining funds.”
States Scramble to Feed Families
Before the Supreme Court stepped in, a number of states rushed to course of funds.
HuffPost experiences that Wisconsin issued $104 million in advantages at midnight to 337,000 households. In Oregon, Gov. Tina Kotek said state workers “worked through the night” to guarantee households relying on SNAP “could buy groceries.” Hawaii, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington also moved rapidly, while Delaware used state funds to issue a momentary reduction cost.
Still, many states have been left ready for federal steering after the Supreme Court keep halted additional distributions.
Millions Left in Limbo
The food program serves about one in eight Americans, offering month-to-month advantages through digital benefit switch (EBT) playing cards. With the keep in place, households are going through recent uncertainty about when they may obtain help.
HuffPost experiences Deb Phillips, a 66-year-old retiree from Arizona, said she missed her $423 benefit this month.
“If it hadn’t been that I have held some money in reserve, knowing that this was coming up, I would not have food in the house right now,” she told the outlet.
Jasmen Youngbey, a single mom in Newark, NJ said her steadiness was $0 as she waited in line at a food pantry.
“Not everybody has cash to pull out and say, ‘OK, I’m going to go and get this,’ especially with the cost of food right now,” she said.
The Bottom Line
The administration’s blended strategy, telling states to pay while petitioning the Supreme Court to stop funds, displays an ongoing disconnect between political messaging and coverage execution.
As the appeals course of continues, 42 million Americans, including tens of millions of kids, stay unsure about when they are going to be in a position to afford their next meal. For now, the federal government’s guarantees of “funding SNAP” are just that, guarantees, while food insecurity continues to grow under Washington’s watch.
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