 "US judge orders Trump administration to fully fund Snap benefits in November as shutdown continues")
A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the US President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday to fully fund the food stamps programme that helps 42 million low-income Americans in November. US District Judge John J McConnell Jr ordered the administration to arrange the funds for this month by Friday, as the programme takes a major hit amid the US government shutdown.
Justice McConnell Jr condemned the Trump administration’s plan to partly fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) benefits in November. The judge argued that the Trump government failed to comply with an order he issued on Saturday requiring the government to ensure Americans received full or partial benefits no later than Wednesday.
He also said that the administration ploughed ahead with a plan to partly cover benefits without addressing, as required, the fact that in many states, it could take weeks or months to even implement the reduced benefits. “The evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened, and needless suffering will occur,” McConnell said. “That’s what irreparable harm here means.” “This should never happen in America," the judge added.
The Friday deadline
During the hearing, Judge McConnell gave the Trump administration until Friday to make payments through Snap. However, it is unlikely that the people who rely on it will see the money on the debit cards they use for groceries that quickly.
“The defendants failed to consider the practical consequences associated with this decision to only partially fund Snap,” McConnell said. “They knew that there would be a long delay in paying partial Snap payments and failed to consider the harm individuals who rely on those benefits would suffer," he furthered.
It is pertinent to note that these types of orders are usually not subject to an appeal. However, the Trump administration has challenged similar rulings before. The plaintiffs want the Snap program, which is a major component of the nation’s social safety net and serves about one in eight Americans, to be fully funded.
In light of this, some states like New York, Oregon and Virginia declared states of emergency last week to provide funds that would keep benefits available. But the amounts provided were expected to amount to a fraction of normal federal government funding. The federal costs of Snap amount to a whopping $8 billion a month across the US.
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