Two federal judges on Oct. 31 said the U.S. Department of Agriculture is legally required to use emergency funds to pay out food stamps benefits during the government shutdown.
The Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program’s (SNAP’s) funding was set to lapse on Nov. 1 because of the government shutdown, potentially affecting the food security of more than 40 million Americans.
A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled from the bench that the program must be funded using at least the contingency funds. U.S. District Judge Jack McConnell also asked for an update on progress by Monday.
Likewise, a federal judge in Massachusetts gave the administration until Monday to specify whether it would partially pay for SNAP benefits in November with contingency funds or fully pay for them with additional funding….
Federal Judges Order USDA to Pay SNAP Benefits During Shutdown
