Summary
Two federal judges in the United States have decided that President Trump's administration cannot stop food aid given to low-income individuals during the government shutdown. The judges ordered the government to use available emergency funds to continue the food assistance program called SNAP.
Key Facts
- Two federal judges made rulings preventing the suspension of food aid during a government shutdown.
- The food aid program in question is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
- About 42 million people in the U.S., or 1 in 8 citizens, depend on SNAP for food.
- The Trump administration attempted to stop SNAP due to a budget impasse in Congress.
- A judge in Boston ruled it unlawful to entirely suspend SNAP and said contingency funds should be used.
- A judge in Rhode Island reached a similar conclusion, emphasizing potential harm from stopping SNAP.
- SNAP has not been paused before, despite previous government shutdowns.
- The current government shutdown is in its 31st day, with ongoing disputes between Democrats and Republicans over the budget.
