U.S. Judge in Boston Hints at Ordering Partial Continuation of SNAP Benefits Amid Shutdown
A federal judge in Boston has indicated she may direct the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to tap emergency contingency funds to sustain at least partial payments under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for November, as the U.S. government shutdown threatens to halt benefits for roughly 40 million recipients.
With the federal appropriations for the new fiscal year unresolved, the USDA has warned states it lacks funding to distribute full SNAP benefits for November. The agency claims legal limits prevent using the reserved contingency funds for standard benefits in the absence of a formal appropriation.
In response, a coalition of 25 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit before Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, seeking an injunction compelling the USDA to deploy available contingency funds to avert the first lapse in SNAP benefit payments in the program’s 60-year history.
Judge’s Remarks and Legal Stakes
During the hearing, Judge Talwani expressed skepticism toward the USDA’s position, remarking:
“It’s hard for me to understand how this isn’t an emergency when there’s no money and a lot of people need their SNAP benefits.”
She noted that existing law authorises the use of contingency resources when normal funding lapses, and indicated she may order the government to act rather than await congressional appropriations.
Implications
-
If the court orders partial funding, states may be able to distribute reduced benefits as early as mid-November; full benefits remain unlikely without congressional action.
-
A lapse of benefits would heighten food insecurity for millions of low-income households and strain food-bank networks across multiple states.
-
Beyond the immediate crisis, the case raises questions about how federal social-safety programs function when appropriations lapse — and which funds may be lawfully accessed in emergencies.
Conclusion
As the government shutdown drags on, the judge’s looming decision may force the USDA to act where Congress has not. The outcome will have significant repercussions for the nearly 42 million Americans reliant on SNAP and for how federal agencies interpret contingency-funding authority during funding gaps.
تعليقات
إرسال تعليق