Summary
Officials from 25 states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, requesting the use of emergency funds to pay for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during a government shutdown. The lawsuit claims that approximately $5 billion in emergency funds are available to cover some of the SNAP benefits needed. This issue affects more than 41 million Americans who rely on SNAP for food assistance.
Key Facts
- A group of 25 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration over SNAP funding.
- SNAP recipients may not receive November benefits due to a government shutdown.
- The lawsuit claims there is $5 billion available in contingency funds for SNAP.
- The shutdown began on October 1 and has drawn bipartisan criticism.
- Over 41 million Americans depend on SNAP for food assistance, equal to 1 in 8 U.S. residents.
- The USDA has stated that emergency funds are insufficient to cover all SNAP needs without new appropriations.
- California has taken its own measures to address the funding gap, such as using the National Guard to distribute food.
- Other nutrition programs like WIC and school lunches might also be affected by funding issues.
