Two US Judges order Trump administration to use emergency funds for food aid during shutdown

Washington [US], November 1 (ANI): Two US federal judges ordered the Donald Trump administration to use billions of dollars in emergency funds to partially cover food stamp benefits for tens of millions of Americans in November, amid a prolonged government shutdown that has disrupted federal programs, CNN reported.

The rulings by judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island rejected a claim by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) that it could not access a contingency fund, which currently holds about USD 5.3 billion, to sustain the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program, which provides food assistance to low-income households, costs between USD 8 billion and USD 9 billion a month, meaning the available contingency funds would only partially meet November's needs.

"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 in Rhode Island. "The shutdown of the government through funding doesn't do away with SNAP, it just does away with the funding of it," he added during a hearing.

Judge Indira Talwani in Boston issued a similar order minutes earlier, stating that USDA is also permitted to draw from another USD 17 billion fund to cover SNAP payments in full. However, the Trump administration has resisted tapping into that reserve, saying it supports child nutrition programs, CNN reported.

"This court has now clarified that defendants are required to use those contingency funds as necessary for the SNAP program," Talwani said in her 15-page order. "While these funds are insufficient to cover the entire cost of SNAP for November, defendants may supplement them by authorising a transfer of additional funds to avoid any reductions," she added.

Officials warned that despite the rulings, millions of beneficiaries could face delays, as the Department of Agriculture and state agencies require time to process and distribute payments, which were originally scheduled to begin on November 1.

President Donald Trump, responding to questions about the issue, suggested that the government could find ways to continue funding critical food aid. "Well, there always is," Trump said, when asked whether money could be found for SNAP, before urging Democrats to agree to reopen the government, CNN reported.

"But all the Democrats have to do is say, let's go. I mean, they don't have to do anything -- all they have to do is say the government is open," he said.

The SNAP program, a key component of America's food security network, has never failed to distribute benefits during a government shutdown in its decades-long history, though it came under strain during the 2018-2019 deadlock.

The Boston lawsuit was filed by a coalition of Democratic attorneys general and governors from 25 states and Washington, DC, while the Rhode Island case was brought by a group of cities, non-profits, unions, and small businesses.

As the shutdown nears its one-month mark, courts across the country are increasingly being drawn into disputes over its impact. Earlier this week, a federal judge in California blocked the administration from laying off thousands of federal workers, ruling that the government could not use the shutdown as justification.

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins told CNN the department was "looking at all the options" in response to the court orders, while the administration considers possible appeals. (ANI)

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