Supreme Court docket extends short-term pause on $4 billion in SNAP funds for November

WASHINGTON — With a possible finish to the federal government shutdown in sight, the Supreme Court docket on Tuesday prolonged a freeze on a federal decide’s ruling that will require the Trump administration to completely fund the SNAP meals program in November.

The choice means the federal government, for now, doesn’t must distribute about $4 billion in extra SNAP funding as required by Rhode Island-based U.S. District Decide John McConnell. The Supreme Court docket block stays in place till midnight on Thursday.

The case would doubtless grow to be moot if the shutdown ends, as the bipartisan invoice to reopen the federal government would absolutely fund the SNAP program via September of subsequent yr. The Home is predicted to vote Wednesday on the Senate-passed measure to finish the record-long shutdown.

Practically 42 million individuals depend on the federal Supplemental Vitamin Help Program, often known as meals stamps.

“The one approach to finish this disaster — which the Govt is adamant to finish — is for Congress to reopen the federal government,” Solicitor Common D. John Sauer wrote within the Trump administration’s newest courtroom submitting.

The temporary courtroom order famous that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson would have denied the federal government’s request.

The courtroom had quickly put McConnell’s ruling on maintain Friday whereas it waited for the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court docket of Appeals to behave. That courtroom on Monday morning declined to intervene.

The Trump administration has argued that, due to the shutdown, it may solely spend $5 billion out of a contingency fund to partially pay for November SNAP advantages. This system normally prices about $9 billion a month.

The federal government objected to McConnell’s order that required the opposite roughly $4 billion to be paid from a separate pot of cash that funds youngster vitamin applications, known as Part 32.

The sensible impression of the Supreme Court docket determination Tuesday implies that till the federal government shutdown ends, the SNAP program shall be about 65% funded.

The Trump administration’s failure to fund SNAP was challenged by a coalition together with cities, church buildings and nonprofits that present meals help.