Topline
A large group of states sued the Trump administration Tuesday in an attempt to prevent the expiration of food stamp benefits this weekend amid a lengthy government shutdown, blasting the Agriculture Department’s decision to cut benefits as “arbitrary and capricious.”
SNAP benefits are slated to expire November 1. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Key Facts
The lawsuit, filed by 25 states and Washington, D.C., argues the federal government has a “statutory obligation” to maintain the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
The states also argued the Agriculture Department’s suspension of food stamps, which will take place Nov. 1, is arbitrary, citing available reserve funding for the program that the Agriculture Department said in a memo last week it would not use, stating the funding is intended for instances like disasters and is “not legally available” to cover a lack of funds during a shutdown.
The Agriculture Department’s website blames Senate Democrats for the upcoming lapse in food stamps, claiming “the well has run dry.”
The states are asking a district judge to provide a ruling by Friday that would force the Trump administration to use about $6 billion in emergency food stamp funds (SNAP payouts cost the government about $8 billion a month).
An Agriculture Department spokesperson blamed Democrats further in an email to Forbes, saying they will either hold out “for the Far-Left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments.”
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you’ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
Crucial Quote
“USDA not only has authority to use contingency funds, it has a legal duty to spend all available dollars to fund SNAP benefits,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “The Trump Administration, however, has chosen instead to play politics with this essential safety net that so many people depend on.”
Big Number
41.7 million. That is the average amount of Americans who used SNAP benefits each month in 2024, according to the Agriculture Department. States with the highest use of SNAP last year included Oregon, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Louisiana.
Key Background
The government shutdown that has put SNAP benefits in peril as the funding impasse approaches a full month, marking the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history. The Senate failed for the 13th time to pass a funding bill to end the shutdown Tuesday in a 54-45 vote, failing to reach the 60 votes needed to advance it. The lapse in government functions has resulted in federal layoffs and government employees missing their first full paycheck last week. As of Oct. 24, about 670,000 federal workers were furloughed as another 730,000 worked without pay, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Further Reading
Government Shutdown: Federal Employees Miss First Full Paycheck (Forbes)
