In an 11th-hour ruling, two federal judges ruled that President Donald Trump’s administration cannot stop food aid for millions of low-income Americans during the ongoing government shutdown and must use contingency funds to pay for the benefits, which end on Saturday, Nov. 1
Shortly after the court’s decisions on Oct. 31, Trump said on social media that the federal government likely lacks legal authority to require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to pay for benefits provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP or food stamps.
“If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding, just like I did with Military and Law Enforcement Pay,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. What that means for SNAP recipients in November remains unclear.
More: Millions rely on SNAP for access to healthy food. How to find help or donate if you can.
If the government were open, some 3 million recipients would receive their benefits on Saturday, according to an estimate by Code for America, as first reported by CNN. Over 13 million people by the second week of November, with remaining SNAP enrollees receiving their funds on a staggered basis throughout the month.
