The Trump administration is appealing a federal court order requiring it to pay full SNAP benefits to recipients this month.
The appeal follows a ruling by U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. in Rhode Island on Thursday, which directed the administration to secure funds to fully cover November’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments despite the ongoing government shutdown. The administration was given until Friday to comply, though it’s unlikely the 42 million Americans who rely on the program will receive their full benefits immediately.
SNAP payments have been disrupted due to the shutdown, which is now the longest in American history, with regular appropriations unavailable and the administration initially planning to provide only 65 percent of the maximum benefit. That decision, prompted lawsuits from several cities and nonprofit organizations.
Soon after the judge’s ruling, government attorneys filed an appeal challenging both Thursday’s decision and an earlier one issued last Saturday, which ordered the use of emergency reserves to keep the food assistance program running through November.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Read the full article here
