by Frank Bergman, Slay News:
President Donald Trump has declared that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will not be distributed until Democrats agree to end their federal government shutdown.
Trump made the announcement as a coalition of plaintiffs urged a federal judge to intervene.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“Benefits for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!”
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
The statement followed a filing by Trump administration officials in a Rhode Island federal court indicating plans to use $4.6 billion in contingency funds to partially cover November SNAP payments.
Officials told U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. that the Department of Agriculture (USDA) would work with states to distribute 50 percent of normal benefits to the program’s 42 million participants.
States Warn of Delays in Processing Payments
USDA officials said states will need to recode their eligibility systems to process the reduced payments, warning the changes could take weeks or months to implement.
In a Tuesday post on X, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that the process would be complex but that her agency would assist states in navigating the changes.
“This will be a cumbersome process, including revised eligibility systems, State notification procedures, and ultimately, delayed benefits for weeks, but we will help States navigate those challenges,” Rollins said.
She also urged congressional Democrats to vote to reopen the government.
Legal Battle Over SNAP Payments
Democrats in Congress have blocked multiple GOP-backed measures to end the shutdown, which began on October 1.
On November 3, Republicans blocked a resolution introduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) that would have required the federal government to fully fund November SNAP payments.
On November 4, the Rhode Island State Council of Churches and other plaintiffs filed a motion asking Judge McConnell to enforce his prior order requiring the administration to “expeditiously resolve the administrative and clerical burdens” associated with partial payments.
