US judge blocks Trump adminration from suspending food aid benefits | World News
A federal judge in Rhode Island on Friday blocked President Donald Trump’s adminration from suspending all food aid for millions of Americans. (File Photo)
A federal judge in Rhode Island on Friday blocked President Donald Trump’s adminration from suspending all food aid for millions of Americans amid the ongoing government shutdown.
US Drict Judge John McConnell in Providence issued a temporary restraining order at the behest of cities, nonprofits and a union who argued the US Department of Agriculture’s suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assance Program benefits, known as SNAP or food stamps, starting Saturday was unlawful.
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The USDA has said insufficient funds ex to pay full benefits to 42 million low-income Americans, as they cost $8.5 billion to $9 billion per month. The Trump adminration contends the agency lacks authority to pay them until Congress passes a spending bill ending a government shutdown that began October 1.
The plaintiffs, represented the liberal legal advocacy group Democracy Forward, argued the agency’s decision to suspend benefits was wrong and unlawful, as the USDA still had funds available to fulfill its obligation to pay SNAP benefits.
Such available funding includes $5.25 billion in contingency funds that Congress has previously provided the USDA for use when “necessary to carry out program operations,” the plaintiffs said.
Aside from the contingency funds, the plaintiffs argued that a separate fund with around $23 billion in it could also be utilized to avoid what would be an unprecedented suspension of SNAP benefits.
