Attorney General Peter F. Neronha 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.
“There are few things more important than access to food, which is why today’s order is so crucial,” said Attorney General Neronha. “As Americans continue to struggle with inflation and the rising costs of housing, health care, and everyday items, we cannot allow the federal government to strip away a safety net program which feeds those who cannot afford to feed themselves. As a reminder, the USDA has billions in contingency funds so the 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP can continue to feed their families in the case of a government shutdown. This is a matter of life and death, and I’m grateful that these funds will soon flow to families that need them the most.”