The Trump administration has announced that it will partially fund food aid for millions of Americans after two judges ruled last week that it must use contingency funds to pay for the benefits in November during the government shutdown. The decision comes as a partial victory for lawmakers who had been pushing for the administration to use emergency funds to cover the costs of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
In a court filing, the USDA stated that $600 million would be used to fund states' administrative costs in administering SNAP benefits, leaving $4.65 billion that will be obligated to cover 50% of eligible households' current allotments. This is an unprecedented move in the program's history.
The administration has said it must remain available for child nutrition programs instead of using other funding sources. The decision is seen as a compromise between lawmakers and the administration, with some lawmakers having sought to use the contingency funds to fully fund SNAP benefits for 42 million Americans, which cost $8 billion to $9 billion per month.
The Trump administration's plan has been met with criticism from Democrats, who have accused the president of trying to undermine the program. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took to social media to call out the administration's actions, saying that they were "editing" the interview with Donald Trump and that he should file a complaint with the FCC against the White House.
The decision comes as the government shutdown enters its 34th day, with lawmakers continuing to debate whether to reopen the lower chamber. The Senate has remained closed since January 3, while the House of Representatives has been operating under a limited schedule.
In a court filing, the USDA stated that $600 million would be used to fund states' administrative costs in administering SNAP benefits, leaving $4.65 billion that will be obligated to cover 50% of eligible households' current allotments. This is an unprecedented move in the program's history.
The administration has said it must remain available for child nutrition programs instead of using other funding sources. The decision is seen as a compromise between lawmakers and the administration, with some lawmakers having sought to use the contingency funds to fully fund SNAP benefits for 42 million Americans, which cost $8 billion to $9 billion per month.
The Trump administration's plan has been met with criticism from Democrats, who have accused the president of trying to undermine the program. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took to social media to call out the administration's actions, saying that they were "editing" the interview with Donald Trump and that he should file a complaint with the FCC against the White House.
The decision comes as the government shutdown enters its 34th day, with lawmakers continuing to debate whether to reopen the lower chamber. The Senate has remained closed since January 3, while the House of Representatives has been operating under a limited schedule.
anyway, its good that lawmakers were pushing for this and now ppl will get some help. but still kinda sad that its only 50% of the allotment. can we do better than that? 
this is like crazy how the trump administration is trying to cut food aid for ppl in need 
it's just not right, some lawmakers are pushing for the admin to use more contingency funds but they're saying no way can't have that on the table 
meanwhile dems are freaking out cuz they think trumps trying to undermine the program and now Schumer is taking a swipe at the white house on social media 
. Like, can't they just agree on something already? 
The $4.65 billion that will be obligated to cover 50% of eligible households' current allotments is still a huge amount, and I feel for the people who are struggling to get by with reduced benefits 
.
. And why did they have to wait for two judges to rule on it? That just feels like a whole lot of extra drama and red tape 
. I'm not saying the administration is bad or anything (although some people might disagree 
), but can't we all just try to find common ground and support those who need help? 
after all those months of drama and shutdowns they're gonna fund food aid for americans! $4.65 billion is still super low tho considering how many ppl need help like 42 million people need assistance every month it should be way more but at least its a start 
i hope they can keep this up and dont make ppl suffer anymore 
the democrats are gonna keep on trashing trump but lets see how it plays out in the senate 
. I mean, come on, can't we just agree that everyone deserves to eat? It's not like it's rocket science. The fact that Trump's admin is trying to use contingency funds to pay for SNAP benefits is just a cop-out. They're basically saying that they don't want to commit to funding the program fully, but still need to claim victory. Meanwhile, 42 million Americans are going without food because of this bureaucratic red tape 
.
So, the Trump admin just agreed to partially fund food aid which is kinda like a sigh of relief for millions of Americans who are struggling 
. It's not perfect though, I mean, they're only covering 50% of eligible households' current allotments, that's still pretty scary for some people 
. But hey, at least it's better than nothing! 
And I gotta say, the USDA finally did what lawmakers wanted them to do, so kudos to that 
. Now, let's hope this decision helps ease some of the pain and we can start talking about a longer-term solution for our food insecurity issues 
I'm so glad the courts ruled in favor of using contingency funds to cover SNAP benefits but it still feels like a Band-Aid solution to me 
We need more than just a temporary fix to address the root issues here.
I just hope that one day we can have a more stable and secure system in place that doesn't rely on temporary fixes or partisan politics 
. I hope they can get back to normal soon, but this is just another example of how important it is to have checks and balances in place 
.
it's crazy that lawmakers had to fight so hard for the administration to use emergency funds... can't believe they're still not fully funding SNAP benefits, 50% just isn't enough 
what's even crazier is that this whole situation is happening during a government shutdown, it's like life or death for so many people 