The US Government is being ordered to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for its over 40 million recipients amid the present government shutdown.
US President Donald Trump was told by federal judges to empty an emergency children’s nutrition fund before SNAP benefits could be cut, and use the fund to pay for the benefits. The administration is determining how to approach funding, considering alternative methods to what was proposed by the judges.
The president posted on Tuesday on Truth Social his position on SNAP funding while the government is shut down.
“SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly ‘handed’ to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump said.
Patrick Penn, USDA deputy undersecretary for Food and Nutrition Services, wrote in a statement that the court-requested fund to be used instead for SNAP could be detrimental to its recipients.
“Section 32 Child Nutrition Program funds are not a contingency fund for SNAP,” Penn wrote. “Using billions of dollars from Child Nutrition for SNAP would leave an unprecedented gap in Child Nutrition funding that Congress has never had to fill with annual appropriations, and USDA cannot predict what Congress will do under these circumstances.”
“For at least some States, USDA’s understanding is that the system changes States must implement to provide the reduced benefit amounts will take anywhere from a few weeks to up to several months,” Penn also said.
“I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible,” Trump posted on Truth Social last Friday, claiming he is in favor of funding SNAP benefits. “If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding.”
