Attorney General Anthony G. 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 the federal government may consider other funding sources to fully fund the program in November. 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 Court agreed that USDA can’t lawfully cut off Marylanders’ SNAP benefits. As this case moves forward, we will continue to fight in court to force the federal government to fund SNAP benefits that families rely on to put food on the table. The Marylanders who depend on SNAP include seniors on fixed incomes, parents working multiple jobs to make ends meet, and students so hungry that they can’t pay attention in school. Every Marylander deserves the dignity of knowing where their next meal will come from. We will not allow the Trump administration to take food from children’s mouths when they have the money to feed them.”