Washington Attorney General Nick Brown today issued the following statement after a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts issued an order finding that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) must use its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) contingency funds to fund the program during the ongoing federal government shutdown. The court also found that if the contingency fund cannot fully fund the program in November, then the federal government must consider other, additional funding sources. USDA has until the end of the day on Monday to let the court know whether it will fully or partially fund the SNAP program.
“The Trump administration acted unlawfully by not funding SNAP benefits,” Brown said. “The court is giving them until Monday to come up with a plan to distribute SNAP benefits in full. And if they don’t, Washington state and AGs around the country will use the court system to hold the administration accountable. SNAP is a vital resource that supports feeding feed kids, seniors and people living with disabilities. What the administration is doing is cruel and inhumane.”