Judge pushes USDA to use emergency funds for SNAP benefits

Watch Judge pushes USDA to use emergency funds for SNAP benefits - Straight Arrow News on Dailymotion

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00:00A federal judge in Boston is signaling she will step in to keep food aid flowing for millions of Americans caught in the government shutdown.

00:10Nearly 42 million Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, previously known as food stamps.

00:17Funding is set to run out as early as tomorrow, but Judge Indira Talwani said the Trump administration cannot simply turn off benefits,

00:24ordering the Agriculture Department to tap in to a $5.5 billion emergency fund Congress set aside for crises like this.

00:34She told government lawyers, quote,

00:35Congress has put money in an emergency fund, and it is hard for me to understand how this is not an emergency.

00:42The fund won't cover a full month, SNAP costs about $9 billion, but it would allow partial payments while the shutdown drags on.

00:49The USDA argues that money was meant for natural disasters, not political stalemates.

00:54But 23 states and three governors sued, saying families should not be left without groceries because Washington can't agree on a budget.

01:03Talwani is expected to issue her ruling as early as today, which could mean benefits might start going out again,

01:09though likely delayed, as states rush to reload EBT cards.