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Diving overview:
- 25 states and Washington, DC; I’m suing the USDANew York State Attorney General Letitia James’ office alleged Tuesday that the agency illegally suspended SNAP benefits during the government shutdown.
- The coalition, which also includes Massachusetts, California, Kentucky and Illinois, argued that the administration’s refusal to send SNAP payments in November violates federal law because the USDA must continue providing benefits as long as funds exist.
- The lawsuit comes just days before millions of SNAP participants will lose their food nutrition benefits.
Dive Insights:
The USDA A notice has been posted It said on its website that it would not be offering SNAP benefits on Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown. The lawsuit filed by 25 states and the District of Columbia alleges that the first-ever delay in SNAP benefits will potentially make millions of program participants food insecure.
A notice on the USDA website states that SNAP benefits will be discontinued on November 1, 2025.
Nearly 42 million people participated in SNAP and received an average of $188 in May, according to the most recent USDA data. The coalition argues that cutting off SNAP funding would harm states with a total of more than 22.4 million residents participating in SNAP.
that suitThe lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, says the suspension is not only illegal but also gives USDA access to at least $6 billion in emergency funds appropriated by Congress. This is “enough to fund all, or at least a significant portion, of SNAP benefits for November.” The lawsuit said USDA appropriated funds to temporarily fund WIC but did not use the same authority when it came to SNAP.
“USDA’s assertion that SNAP emergency funds cannot be used to fund SNAP benefits during the appropriation period violates the plain text of the Congressional Budget Act,” the lawsuit said.
The coalition noted that losing SNAP funding could harm retailers, hamper economic activity, and potentially erode people’s trust in food and nutrition programs, as well as increase costs for state and local governments as people become more dependent on public programs like emergency services and food pantries.
In addition to USDA, the lawsuit names Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the Office of Management and Budget, and the department’s director, Russell Vought, as defendants. OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. In response to a request for comment on the lawsuit, USDA did not address the lawsuit or the claims.
The coalition is asking the court to declare USDA’s suspension of November SNAP payments unlawful and is seeking a temporary restraining order directing USDA to direct available emergency funds toward November SNAP benefits for plaintiffs.
