Two Federal Judges Rule Trump Administration Must Replenish SNAP Benefits

Federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ruled that the government is “required” to use billions of dollars in emergency funds to help pay for food stamp benefits on Friday. Both judges rejected the Department of Agriculture’s claim that it couldn’t use these funds during the shutdown. US District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island says “the shutdown of the government through funding doesn’t do away with SNAP, it just does away with the funding of it.” This ruling comes a single day before the benefits were set to expire, though millions of recipients will still likely face delays in getting their benefits.