[Update: The judge in this case ordered that the funding must be used to fund SNAP. The USDA plans to send partial SNAP benefits for November.]
Attorney General Jeff Jackson has sued the Trump administration over the freeze of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits starting in November due to the ongoing government shutdown. Jackson had previously warned that he would take action if the federal government, specifically the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), followed through with its plan to halt the disbursement of food assistance in November amid the government shutdown.
The lawsuit includes governors and attorneys general of 20 other states, and claims that the Trump administration should tap into its $6 billion reserve fund to continue to fund the program, which the agency previously outlined it would in a now-deleted copy of the agency’s shutdown plan. The lawsuit also notes that in previous shutdowns and lapses of operations, the USDA has continued to fund SNAP.
“Nearly 600,000 children in our state could be without food in a few days because USDA is playing an illegal game of shutdown politics,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “They have emergency money to help feed children during this shutdown, and they’re refusing to spend it. I warned them last week that I would take them to court if they tried to hurt our kids, and today that’s what we’re doing.”
In North Carolina, 1.5 million people, including an estimated 600,000 children, rely on SNAP to put food on the table. SNAP recipients come from urban to rural areas, with some counties seeing about 25% of their population relying on the program. Across the country, SNAP feeds over 42 million Americans.
Food banks in the state are bracing for a major increase in traffic due to the cuts, as the weather cools and the holiday season approaches. But even with increased efforts, food banks are unable to fill the gap that a freeze in food assistance would cause.
Shortly after Jackson announced his lawsuit, Governor Josh Stein announced that North Carolina would be distributing an $18 million grant to food banks across the state to assist them ahead of the pause in SNAP benefits. Of that $18 million: $10 million is coming from the state, $5 million is coming from AmeriHealth Caritas, and $2.5 million is coming from The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation. In Gov. Steins announcement of the grant, he called on leaders in Washington to come together to find a solution that will help all Americans in the long run.
“With the help of generous partners, North Carolina is taking action to keep families fed,” Stein said. “Shoring up our state’s food banks will serve as a critical, but fleeting, lifeline for families in need, and I hope other North Carolina organizations will also step up in this time of need. Whether it’s paying our military, ensuring no child goes hungry, or lowering health care costs, leaders in Washington need to come together immediately to find a bipartisan solution that provides long-term stability for millions of Americans.”
Shortly after Stein made his announcement, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration’s freezing of SNAP funds is unlawful and gave the administration until the following Monday to announce a plan to move forward.
