RI Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to Pay SNAP Benefits for November

RI Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to Pay SNAP Benefits for November

For a week, the Trump administration has been delaying even making partial payment of federal SNAP payments.

 

Last Friday, Rhode Island Federal District Judge John McConnell, one of the two federal judges who ordered the Trump administration to make payments, issued a new order on Thursday to the Trump administration.

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“People have gone without for too long,” McConnell said during a hastily called hearing today. “Not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.”

 

Nearly 42 million Americans receive food stamps. Payments are made on a staggered basis over the course of a month.

 

McConnell’s new order comes days after the administration, in response to an earlier order from him, said it would provide only partial food stamp benefits for November by tapping into some $4.65 billion in a contingency fund maintained by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

 

The Justice Department almost immediately told the court that it would appeal the ruling.

 

Governor Maura Healey issued the following statement after McConnell ordered Trump to release full SNAP benefits. 

 

“Millions of American families have been going hungry because President Trump has been choosing not to fund SNAP,” said Healey. “It shouldn’t take multiple court orders for the President to feed children, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities. The President needs to comply with this court order and fully fund SNAP immediately. Massachusetts is ready to get benefits to people ASAP.” 
 

 

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Updated 5:34 PM, 7:31 PM