Trump Snap Funding: Federal judges orders Trump adminstration to fund SNAP moving, forcing the administration to keep food benefits flowing during the shutdown.
The Trump administration has announced plans to partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) after two federal judges ruled the program couldn’t be allowed to collapse during the ongoing federal government shutdown, according to The Associated Press.
With over 42 million Americans depending on SNAP and the program costing around $8 billion a month.
SNAP — the nation’s largest food assistance program — provides essential grocery funds to low-income households. Before the crisis, the average benefit was about $190 per person each month, and any interruption risked pushing families into hunger.
With one in every eight Americans relying on these benefits, the stakes couldn’t be higher. A prolonged shutdown had threatened to halt payments for November, which the USDA initially said it couldn’t cover due to insufficient funding.
Judges Indira Talwani (Massachusetts) and John J. McConnell Jr. (Rhode Island) stepped in last week, ruling that the administration must use contingency reserves — roughly $5 billion — to continue payments.
The Trump administration, which had previously argued it lacked legal authority to access those funds, reversed course following the court order.
While the decision offers short-term relief, officials warn that payments may be delayed or reduced. States are being told to prepare for partial distributions, with timing and coverage varying across jurisdictions.
Some states say it could take up to two weeks for funds to appear on EBT cards. Others are considering emergency state-level measures to prevent food insecurity.
