Nov. 3 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump has until noon to respond to a federal judge who ruled last week that food benefits must be reinstated amid a government shutdown that entered its 34th day Monday.
Two federal judges -- in Massachusetts and Rhode Island -- ruled Friday that the Trump administration must continue providing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits despite the federal government shutdown.
The Trump administration cut off federal SNAP funds, which were expected to dispersed to states beginning Saturday. In previous federal government shutdowns, the U.S. Department of Agriculture paid out SNAP benefits using a contingency fund, but last week, Trump said his administration won't be doing that.
In his decision Friday, U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to issue the full SNAP funds by the end of the day Monday or partial funds by Wednesday. He said the administration must notify the court of what it plans to do by noon Monday.
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