00:00A federal appeals court has ruled the Trump administration must fully fund food assistance benefits during the ongoing government shutdown.
00:10Late Sunday night, the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston upheld a lower court ruling from Rhode Island,
00:16requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release $4 billion to ensure Americans receive full SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps.
00:26The decision came after the USDA told states to immediately undo any steps taken to distribute full benefits, warning of possible financial penalties.
00:36Several states began issuing payments on Friday, but on Saturday, Supreme Court Justice Katanji Brown-Jackson temporarily paused the order while the appeals court reviewed the case.
00:47Even with Sunday's ruling, that pause stays in place for 48 hours, meaning payments won't resume right away.
00:54It is still unclear whether the administration plans to follow through on its threat to penalize states it says acted without authorization.
Be the first to comment