Millions in the US will miss food aid Saturday as contingency funds weren\u2019t approved in time
\n Washington
\nFederal judges in Massachusetts, Rhode Island rule government must tap contingency funds to keep SNAP benefits flowing, as millions of low-income Americans face delays in food assistance amid ongoing shutdown.
\nTwo US federal judges on Friday issued orders to block the Trump administration from stopping food aid for millions of Americans during the government shutdown, now over a month old, ordering the government to use contingency funds to continue the benefits.
\nThe rulings, issued by judges in the Northeastern states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, followed lawsuits aiming to prevent the US Agriculture Department from suspending Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, widely known as food stamps, beginning Saturday, as reported by The Washington Post.
\nBoth judges directed the administration to return to court on Monday and explain how it plans to carry out the orders.
\nPresident Donald Trump wrote on social media Friday evening that he had instructed government lawyers to work with the courts to release SNAP funds as quickly as possible, while blaming Democrats for any delays.
\n\u201cIf we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding,\u201d Trump wrote on social media, although in the days leading up to the rulings, his administration said it was unable to provide the money.
\nEven with the court orders, millions of Americans will still miss out on food assistance Saturday because the contingency funds were not approved in time. States and their vendors require several days\u2019 notice to distribute the benefits to recipients.
\nBut US District Judge John McConnell, appointed by former President Barack Obama, said the administration\u2019s refusal to use $5.25 billion in contingency funds for November benefits was unjustified and added that USDA must distribute the contingency funds \u201ctimely, or as soon as possible, for the November 1 payments to be made.\u201d
\nSNAP supports low-income Americans earning under 130% of the federal poverty level, about $1,632 per month for one person and $2,215 for two. States manage the program and distribute the monthly benefits.
\n\u201cThere is no doubt and it is beyond argument that irreparable harm will begin to occur if it hasn\u2019t already occurred in the terror it has caused some people about the availability of funding for food, for their family,\u201d McConnell said.
\nDenial of benefits based on misreading of law, says judge
\nIn a separate case in Boston, US District Judge Indira Talwani, also appointed by Obama, said the Agriculture Department appeared to be misreading the law. She declined to immediately order the release of contingency funds, as requested by 26 Democratic attorneys general and governors \u2013 representing over half the states in the US \u2013 but directed the agency to decide by Monday whether it will approve them.
\nTalwani said that since the benefit suspension relied on an \u201cerroneous construction\u201d of the law, the court would allow officials to determine whether to authorize at least reduced SNAP payments for November.
\nAlthough some delays are expected because payments couldn\u2019t be processed on time, anti-hunger advocates and Democrats welcomed the rulings, saying they should still provide relief for millions on SNAP.
\nDemocratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said the Agriculture Department has \u201cno excuse to withhold food assistance,\u201d calling any refusal \u201ca cruel political decision\u201d and urging swift action to ensure that families receive support.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Millions in the US will miss food aid Saturday as contingency funds weren\u2019t approved in time Washington Federal judges in Massachusetts, Rhode Island rule government must tap contingency funds to keep SNAP benefits flowing, as millions of low-income Americans face delays in food assistance amid ongoing shutdown. Two US federal judges on Friday issued orders […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":512103,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-512079","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n