Legal Dispute Over SNAP Funding Continues
On Friday, the Trump administration requested that a federal appeals court temporarily halt a lower court’s ruling requiring full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by day’s end.
Lawyers from the Justice Department urged the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals to suspend an injunction issued just a day earlier by a federal judge in Rhode Island. This appeal is part of an ongoing legal fight concerning the program that provides food assistance to 42 million low-income Americans.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge John McConnell mandated that the U.S. Department of Agriculture must provide $4 billion in emergency funds to fully support the SNAP program through November, emphasizing the urgent need for food assistance distribution.
Judge McConnell criticized the Trump administration for only supporting 65% of SNAP benefits, expressing concern that “as we sit here, SNAP recipients are probably going hungry.” This statement preceded his new order directed at the Department of Agriculture within a mere 24 hours.
Court Ruling Highlights Tensions
The Trump administration’s legal team claimed in their Friday filing that the lower court’s order undermines the separation of powers, accusing McConnell of exceeding his judicial authority.
They argued there was “no legal basis” for the court to demand that the Department of Agriculture somehow find $4 billion, labeling the injunction as “unprecedented.”
They noted, “This is certainly a crisis, but it is a crisis caused by Congressional failures and can only be resolved by Congressional action,” they stated.
Judge McConnell pointed out on Thursday that the administration had not adhered to his earlier directive, which compelled the USDA to secure funding before SNAP benefits were due to expire on November 1—this being an unprecedented situation in the program’s 60-year history.
McConnell mentioned that the government had taken no action to ensure the release of funds on the set date, indicating persistent issues that could complicate SNAP payments for some states potentially leading to delays of weeks or even months.
