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Supreme
Court
Temporarily
Blocks
Full
SNAP
Benefits
Amid
Government
Shutdown
Li Haung
-
National-Politics
Tell Us
USA News
Network
WASHINGTON
- In a
late
Friday
night
emergency
order,
Supreme
Court
Justice
Ketanji
Brown
Jackson
issued a
temporary
pause on
a
federal
judge's
ruling
that
would
have
mandated
the
Trump
administration
to fully
fund
Supplemental
Nutrition
Assistance
Program
(SNAP)
benefits
for
nearly
42
million
Americans
this
November.
This
ruling
comes as
the
government
shutdown
enters
its
sixth
week,
further
complicating
the
delivery
of the
nation’s
largest
anti-hunger
program.
The stay
halts
the
lower
court’s
directive
until
the 1st
U.S.
Circuit
Court of
Appeals
renders
a
decision
on
whether
to allow
a
longer-term
block.
The
pause
will
remain
effective
for 48
hours
after
the
appeals
court's
ruling,
which is
expected
soon.
Background:
SNAP was
fully
funded
through
September
30,
2025,
but with
no
appropriation
approved
for the
2026
fiscal
year,
the
Department
of
Agriculture
announced
it was
suspending
benefits
for
November
starting
October
24. U.S.
District
Judge
John
McConnell
ordered
the
administration
on
Thursday
to make
full
benefit
payments
by
Friday,
condemning
delays
that he
said
likely
caused
hunger
among
recipients.
The
judge’s
order
relied
on a
provision
from the
Agricultural
Adjustment
Act to
fund
these
payments
temporarily,
a move
the
Trump
administration
disputes.
The
government
argues
that
diverting
funds
from
Section
32 of
the
Agricultural
Adjustment
Act—reserved
for
child
nutrition
programs
like
school
lunches—to
fully
fund
SNAP
would
jeopardize
other
crucial
social
programs
with no
mechanism
to
reclaim
the
funds.
Solicitor
General
D. John
Sauer
described
the
lower
court’s
order as
an
overreach
undermining
the
separation
of
powers
and
called
the
funding
crisis a
congressional
responsibility.
Despite
the
legal
back and
forth,
several
states,
including
Wisconsin,
California,
Kansas,
New
Jersey,
Pennsylvania,
and
Washington,
moved
swiftly
to issue
full
SNAP
payments
on
Friday,
with
Wisconsin
alone
distributing
$104
million
to over
337,000
households.
Impact:
The
ruling
places
millions
of SNAP
recipients
at risk
of
losing
or
delaying
critical
food
assistance
at a
time
when
many
have had
to rely
on food
pantries
or cut
other
essentials.
SNAP,
which
normally
costs
between
$8.5
billion
and $9
billion
monthly,
supports
individuals
and
families
with
incomes
under
130% of
the
federal
poverty
line.
The
maximum
monthly
benefit
for 2026
is $298
for an
individual
and $546
for a
two-person
household.
Political
Responses:
Attorney
General
Pam
Bondi
praised
the
Supreme
Court’s
stay as
a
victory
to
defend
the
Trump
administration’s
position.
Conversely,
Democratic
officials
condemned
the
decision,
highlighting
the
hardship
it
causes
to
vulnerable
Americans
dependent
on SNAP.
Next
Steps:
The
Supreme
Court’s
temporary
pause
allows
the
lower
court to
consider
the
administration’s
request
for a
longer-term
block
while
the
appeals
court
prepares
to rule.
The
uncertainty
continues
as
negotiations
over the
government
shutdown
and
funding
for
social
programs
remain
unresolved.
This
ongoing
legal
and
political
struggle
underscores
the
tangible
impact
of the
government
shutdown
on
millions
of
Americans
facing
food
insecurity.
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