More than two dozen states are pushing back against the Trump administration’s decision to suspend SNAP benefits amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. A coalition of 25 states, along with Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit accusing the USDA of failing to use emergency reserve funds to continue delivering food assistance to millions of low-income families.
This marks one of the biggest legal challenges so far since the shutdown began. In the lawsuit, the states argue that the USDA had other options to prevent a lapse in benefits but chose not to act. Many claim the move could violate federal law, leaving over 42 million Americans most of whom rely on this aid for daily survival in limbo as they brace for the ripple effects.
The USDA responded by saying it doesn’t have the legal authority to release benefits without congressional funding. It warned that attempting to issue payments during a shutdown would break the Anti-Deficiency Act, a law that restricts federal spending without an approved budget.
