photo #8736707

2 Federal Judges Order Trump Administration to Keep Food Stamp Program Funded During ShutdownA federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to continue funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) amid the ongoing government shutdown, providing temporary relief to roughly 42 million Americans who rely on the aid.U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the administration must resume payments, saying the plaintiffs — a coalition of 25 Democratic governors and state attorneys general — are likely to succeed in their claim that halting SNAP was unlawful.Talwani instructed the government to outline by Nov. 3 how it plans to sustain the program and whether benefits will be distributed in full or in part. Shortly after, Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island issued a similar order requiring the administration to tap emergency funds to ensure continued food assistance.SNAP benefits were set to expire Nov. 1, marking what would have been the first lapse in the program’s 60-year history due to a shutdown. The judges agreed that the cuts would have had “devastating” effects on millions of low-income households nationwide.The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had previously declined to use its $5 billion contingency fund to sustain November benefits. The court orders now compel the administration to find immediate funding solutions.#SNAP #GovernmentShutdown #CourtRuling #TrumpAdministration