President Trump Responds to Judge’s Ruling on SNAP Benefits
President Trump on Friday evening addressed recent court rulings concerning the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). More than 40 million Americans rely on SNAP benefits, and the $5 billion emergency fund is insufficient to cover the program for November.
Earlier this week, unions and nonprofit organizations filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ahead of the November 1 cutoff. The shortage of funds comes amid the ongoing government shutdown, which Democrats have refused to end by passing a clean continuing resolution.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge John McConnell, an Obama appointee, ordered the administration to use emergency funds to continue SNAP payments. In a separate ruling, a federal judge in Massachusetts affirmed that the USDA has the authority to fund SNAP benefits.
Meanwhile, Judge Indira Talwani, also an Obama appointee, stopped short of issuing a temporary restraining order and scheduled a hearing for Monday. President Trump said the conflicting court rulings prompted him to instruct Justice Department lawyers to seek clarification on how the administration can legally provide SNAP benefits during the shutdown.
“Our government lawyers do not believe we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain available funds, and now two courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do,” President Trump said on Truth Social. “I do NOT want Americans to go hungry because the Democrats refuse to reopen the government.”
He added, “I have instructed our lawyers to ask the court for guidance so we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible. Even with immediate guidance, there will be delays as states distribute the funds. If the court approves, it will be my honor to provide the funding, just as I did with military and law enforcement pay.”
President Trump also urged Americans who rely on SNAP to contact Senate Democrats to end the shutdown, providing the office number for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
About Post Author
