Washington [US]: Two US federal judges have directed the Trump administration to release billions of dollars in emergency funds to sustain food stamp benefits for millions of Americans, as the prolonged government shutdown continues to disrupt key federal services, CNN reported.
The rulings—issued separately by judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island—rejected the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) claim that it could not draw from contingency reserves to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The fund, which currently contains around USD 5.3 billion, is expected to cover only part of November’s food aid needs, as SNAP typically costs between USD 8 billion and USD 9 billion per month.
“There is no doubt that the contingency funds are appropriated funds necessary to carry out the program’s operation,” said US District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island, emphasizing that a funding lapse does not eliminate SNAP itself.
Minutes earlier, US District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston issued a similar order, permitting the USDA to access an additional USD 17 billion reserve to fully cover SNAP payments. The administration had earlier declined to tap that fund, citing its use for child nutrition programs.
“This court clarifies that the defendants are required to use those contingency funds as necessary for the SNAP program,” Talwani wrote
. “While these funds may not meet the full cost of November’s benefits, additional transfers can be authorized to prevent reductions,” her order stated.
Officials cautioned that despite the rulings, millions of SNAP beneficiaries might face payment delays as the USDA and state agencies work to adjust their systems. Payments were initially scheduled to begin November 1.
Responding to questions from reporters, former President Donald Trump suggested that options remained available to sustain food aid during the shutdown. “There always is,” he said, while again urging Democrats to agree to reopen the government.
The lawsuits—one filed by a coalition of 25 Democratic-led states and Washington, DC, and another by cities, unions, and small businesses in Rhode Island—are part of a growing number of legal challenges arising from the shutdown, now nearing its one-month mark.
In a separate case earlier this week, a federal judge in California barred the administration from laying off thousands of federal employees, ruling that the government cannot cite the shutdown as justification.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins told CNN that the department is reviewing all available options in response to the court directives, while the administration considers whether to appeal the rulings.
