Two federal judges blocked the Trump administration from suspending the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beginning November 1.
“Congress appropriated $6 billion to SNAP in 2024 as a contingency reserve through 2026, ’to be used in such amounts and at such times as may become necessary to carry out program operations,’” U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani wrote in her order. “Where there are at present no new appropriations for fiscal year 2026, this contingency reserve, which Congress specifically appropriated for use when funding is ‘necessary to carry out program operations,’ is available to USDA and must be deployed to fund SNAP benefits.”
She added, “This court has now clarified that Defendants are required to use those Contingency Funds as necessary for the SNAP program.”
“Where that suspension of benefits rested on an erroneous construction of the relevant statutory provisions, the court will allow Defendants to consider whether they will authorize at least reduced SNAP benefits for November, and report back to the court no later than Monday, November 3, 2025,” the order read.
Moments after Talwani issued her order, U.S. District Judge John McConnell declared, as per ABC News, “The court is, orally at this time, ordering that USDA must distribute the contingency money timely, or as soon as possible, for the November 1 payments to be made.”
“There is no doubt, and it is beyond argument, that irreparable harm will begin to occur — if it hasn’t already occurred — in the terror it has caused some people about the availability of funding for food for their family,” he said.
Democratic leaders from 25 states sued the Department of Agriculture this week over the program’s suspension.
