US judge orders Trump administration to fully fund food aid by Friday

Bangkok Post Group

A federal judge in Rhode Island on Thursday (November 6) ordered U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to fully fund food aid for 42 million low-income Americans in November by Friday, blocking a plan to provide reduced Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the government shutdown. - REUTERS

Transcript

00:00A federal judge in Rhode Island on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump's administration

00:05to fully fund food aid in November for 42 million low-income Americans by Friday.

00:10That blocks a plan to provide only reduced Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

00:14or SNAP benefits during the government shutdown.

00:17U.S. District Judge John McConnell accused the administration of withholding SNAP benefits

00:21for, quote, political reasons and ordered the Department of Agriculture to provide 100% of

00:27their benefits.

00:27McConnell warned that reduced funding would lead to hunger and strained food pantries.

00:32The Trump administration moved quickly to appeal, creating uncertainty over full payments by Friday.

00:38A USDA spokesperson in a statement blamed Senate Democrats for voting against a Republican-backed

00:43stopgap funding measure to end the government shutdown, now in its 37th day.

00:48The administration had originally planned to entirely suspend SNAP benefits in November,

00:53citing a lack of authorized funding from Congress as a result of the shutdown.

00:57McConnell previously ruled the USDA must use $5.25 billion in emergency funds or tap additional

01:03funding to partially cover SNAP, which costs $8.5 to $9 billion per month.

01:09The USDA opted to use only contingency funding, leaving $4.65 billion for benefits after administrative

01:15costs and prompting states to urge recipients to budget and visit food pantries.

01:20At the Bergen County and Community Food Bank of New Jersey on Thursday, cars stretched around Overpeck

01:25County Park.

01:26Federal workers and SNAP recipients hit hard by the ongoing government shutdown waited to

01:30receive emergency food boxes.

01:32Among them was Janelle Daniels, a Bergen County resident who recently learned her SNAP benefits

01:37were being paused.

01:38I actually was involved in a pedestrian hit and run of last year on Christmas Eve.

01:43I haven't worked since then, unfortunately.

01:45I am currently recovering from a knee arthroscopic surgery in July.

01:50I just got re-approved for SNAP and EBT to turn around and to find out they wouldn't really

01:56sit for, you know, the rest of the year.

01:58So it's kind of upsetting.

01:59Bergen County Commissioner Tracy Zohr said the shutdown's impact has been heartbreaking.

02:03That's what keeps me up at night.

02:06That's what has been for the last three weeks is this has been a political football.

02:09As we seem to be having inaction and this is targeting our most vulnerable, it's just

02:16devoid of humanity.

02:17Zohr told Reuters some 43,000 Bergen County residents rely on SNAP.

02:22Community Food Bank of New Jersey President Elizabeth McCarthy said the demand had spiked.

02:26The problem is this is not going to be sustainable if this shutdown goes on for very long.

02:30I mean, this everything that we're spending right now is sort of over and above what we

02:34had budgeted for the year.

02:35And so it's just really important that, you know, we sort of figure out a way to get people

02:39the help they need.

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