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Supreme Court Issues Emergency Order on SNAP Funding
The U.S. Supreme Court intervened late Friday, temporarily blocking a lower court's order that required the Trump administration to release full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The emergency ruling allows the government to withhold approximately $4 billion in benefits pending further legal review, leaving millions of low-income Americans in uncertainty.
Legal Battle Over Food Aid During Shutdown
The dispute escalated after a Rhode Island federal judge, John McConnell, ruled Thursday that the administration had withheld food aid "for political reasons" and mandated full disbursement of SNAP funds by Friday. Judge McConnell warned that without the aid, "16 million children are immediately at risk of going hungry." His decision followed an earlier order requiring the government to tap contingency funds for partial November payments.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers SNAP, had initially announced it would halt benefits in November due to the ongoing federal shutdown-the longest in U.S. history. Before the Supreme Court's intervention, the USDA indicated it was preparing to comply with the lower court's directive.
Supreme Court Freezes Lower Court Ruling
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued an administrative stay late Friday, pausing the Rhode Island ruling for at least two days while the government pursues an appeal. The temporary freeze underscores the legal and political tensions surrounding the shutdown, which has left federal workers unpaid for over a month and disrupted critical services, including air travel.
States Scramble as Federal Funding Stalls
With federal SNAP funding-totaling nearly $9 billion monthly-caught in limbo, some states have used their own reserves to maintain payments. Recipients typically receive about $6 per day via pre-loaded debit cards for groceries. However, officials in several states have warned they cannot sustain the program without federal support.
"Without these funds, 16 million children are immediately at risk of going hungry."
Judge John McConnell, U.S. District Court for Rhode Island
Broader Shutdown Fallout
The SNAP dispute is among the most contentious consequences of the shutdown, now in its second month. Democratic and Republican lawmakers remain deadlocked over funding legislation, prolonging disruptions to federal operations and social safety nets. The Supreme Court's temporary order extends the uncertainty for the 42 million Americans-roughly one in eight-who rely on SNAP for basic nutrition.
