Summary
A federal judge in Boston may require the Trump administration to use emergency funds to provide food assistance to about 42 million Americans during the government shutdown. SNAP benefits, which aid low-income individuals, are threatened due to halted funding. State leaders have sued the federal government to access USDA's contingency funds.
Key Facts
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) helps around 42 million Americans by providing monthly food aid.
- Due to a government shutdown, SNAP payments are currently on hold as the USDA waits for regular funding to resume.
- A federal judge suggests the USDA should use emergency funds to continue distributing SNAP benefits.
- Leaders from 25 Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C., have filed a lawsuit against the federal government concerning this issue.
- The USDA argues that contingency funds can only supplement monthly benefits and cannot fully cover them without regular appropriations.
- Despite the suspension of SNAP, the USDA has used other funds to support different programs during the shutdown.
- The lawsuit aims to compel the USDA to find ways to maintain SNAP payments during the government funding gap.
