States Sue Trump Administration Over SNAP Funding Suspension; Case Filed In Massachusetts

Grapevine TV

Massachusetts and several other states are suing the Trump administration for suspending the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food aid to low-income Americans. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, is led by Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. She accused the administration of “creating needless fear and harm” despite having funds to continue the program. SNAP, run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, serves about 42 million people nationwide, including over 1 million in Massachusetts. The USDA warned that due to the government shutdown, full benefits may not be paid in November, but the suit argues the agency still has billions in contingency funds to prevent that. Governor Maura Healey called the move “cruel” and urged Trump to “feed Americans,” while the White House blamed Democrats for causing the shutdown and using SNAP recipients as “political pawns.” The lawsuit says Congress intended SNAP to continue during a shutdown and asks the court to immediately restore benefits, calling the suspension unlawful and “arbitrary and capricious.”  #Massachusetts #SupplementalNutritionAssistanceProgram #SNAP #AndreaCampbell #MauraHealy

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00:00The attorney general is filing suit. Anti-hunger advocates want the state to step in and pony up the funds.

00:06And tonight, people who rely on SNAP are worried about the future.

00:11I'm just very worried about what I'm going to do.

00:14At a statehouse rally, tears stream down Iris Yvette Montefiar's face when she talks about trying to feed her family without food stamps.

00:22Don't take it away. Today is my son's birthday and I can't even have a pizza party for him.

00:29The Trump administration says the well has run dry.

00:32It won't release emergency funds for SNAP benefits November 1st because of the government shutdown.

00:37Attorney General Andrea Campbell and several other states are suing the Trump administration.

00:42We're asking the court to step in because they have not done what's required of them, which is to deliver these SNAP benefits to our family.

00:49Anti-hunger advocates want the state to tap into its $8 billion rainy day fund to temporarily keep the program afloat.

00:56In the absence of federal action, we are urging the state to pull from the rainy day fund.

01:00Governor Healy has pushed back on using state funds to pay for SNAP.

01:04She's blaming President Trump, demanding the federal government pay for the program.

01:08It's like, I'm in shock.

01:11People on food stamps say they're worried about what's next.

01:14Towards getting to the end of the month, I ran out of food stamps, so I had to rely on food pantry.

01:23And 1.1 million people in Massachusetts depend on SNAP benefits.

01:29And in fact, food pantries like this one behind me, they say they're only concerned that pressure on them will continue to grow should the benefits run out.

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