Attorney General James Wins Court Ruling Requiring Federal Government to Use SNAP Contingency Funds

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today secured a major win in her fight to protect lifesaving food assistance for millions of Americans after a federal judge ruled that the federal government must use its contingency funds to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) running during the shutdown. The court found that the administration’s decision to suspend SNAP benefits for November was likely unlawful and ordered the administration to report back by Monday on its plans to use contingency funding to execute November SNAP benefits.

“Millions of families rely on SNAP — or food stamps — to survive,” said Attorney General James. “The administration tried to use the shutdown as an excuse to withhold food assistance from vulnerable Americans, but the court has made clear that the law requires those benefits to continue. The federal government cannot simply walk away from its obligation to feed the people it serves. We will keep fighting until every family in New York and across the nation can put food on the table.”

Attorney General James and a coalition of 25 other attorneys general and governors sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) earlier this week after the agency announced that it would suspend November SNAP benefits because of the federal government shutdown. The coalition argued that the move was unlawful because USDA has billions of dollars in a congressionally appropriated contingency fund specifically set aside to ensure SNAP continues during funding lapses. They warned that without court intervention, millions of low-income families would lose the money they need to buy groceries.

In today’s order, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts held that USDA’s suspension of SNAP violated federal law, and that the agency is required to use its contingency funds or whatever resources are available to ensure there is no disruption to food assistance. While the court did not formally grant the temporary restraining order (TRO) sought by the states, it directed the federal government to take immediate steps to deploy funding and report its plan to the court by Monday, November 3. In a separate case, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted a nationwide TRO requiring the administration to restore SNAP benefits as soon as possible.