Trump Administration Complies with Court Order on SNAP Benefits Amidst Shutdown, Press Secretary Contradicts President
The Trump administration faced federal court orders to maintain SNAP benefits for millions during a government shutdown, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming compliance despite earlier presidential statements.
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Overview
- The Trump administration initially planned to freeze SNAP benefits for nearly 42 million Americans during a government shutdown, impacting vulnerable populations including children, the elderly, and disabled individuals.
- Federal judges ruled that freezing SNAP payments was unlawful, ordering the administration to pay out benefits and prompting legal challenges against the US Department of Agriculture's initial actions.
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the Trump administration is complying with the federal court order to maintain SNAP benefits, contradicting earlier statements from President Trump about not releasing funds.
- The Department of Agriculture allocated over $4 billion in contingency funds to provide partial SNAP benefits, meaning recipients will receive reduced allotments, with some states experiencing potential delays.
- This situation led to political blame-shifting between Democrats and Republicans regarding the SNAP chaos, while experts criticized the USDA's initial claims of lacking sufficient funds.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by highlighting the severe disruption and human impact of the SNAP funding lapse. They use evocative language to underscore the "panic" and "chaos" caused by the partial benefits, emphasizing the vulnerability of recipients and the strain on state resources, rather than solely focusing on the political or legal aspects.
"The reassurance from the White House came after the president wrote in a post on Truth Social that SNAP benefits "will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!""
CBS News"The disruption is already wreaking havoc on the normally steadfast program."
NBC News"The Trump administration's decision to partially fund SNAP has left millions of Americans hungry and waiting even longer for relief as the government takes additional steps needed to address the funding issue."
Fortune"With questions continuing to swirl around the SNAP program, CBS News spoke with three people on food stamps about how losing access to the payments could affect them."
CBS News"The move to partially fund SNAP could delay benefits as states calculate and distribute the food subsidies, and the smaller payment may only grant recipients days or weeks before they face the threat of going without food anew."
ABC News"The Trump administration announced on Nov. 3 through a court filing, however, that it would allocate money to send out partial payments to SNAP participants, covering "50% of eligible households’ current allotments.""
USA TODAY"The USDA said it currently has $4.65 billion in SNAP contingency funds, which is about half of the $9.2 billion Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has said SNAP will cost in November."
USA TODAY"The USDA warned late last month that federal food benefits would not go out to roughly 42 million recipients on Nov. 1 after it declined to tap into contingency funds to keep food stamp payments flowing during the shutdown."
CBS News"The Trump administration has committed to partially funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program with a $4.65 billion payment -- but using emergency funds to pay for reduced SNAP benefits could take "a few weeks to up to several months," a top USDA official told a federal judge in a sworn court filing Monday."
ABC News"The U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it due to the shutdown."
Chicago Sun-Times"What is clear is that a lot of money has disappeared from people's food budgets, and anti-hunger advocates say that food banks alone will not be able to make up the difference."
NPR"The situation leaves millions with uncertainty about how they will feed themselves."
NPR"The situation leaves millions with uncertainty about how they will feed themselves."
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FAQ
The new SNAP work requirements apply to individuals aged 18-54 who do not have a dependent child under 18 and are considered physically and mentally able to work.
Eligible activities include working, volunteering, or participating in an education or training program for at least 20 hours per week (or 80 hours per month).
SNAP recipients who do not meet the work requirements will be limited to three months of benefits within a three-year period.
Yes, certain individuals may be exempt from the work requirements based on specific criteria, such as disability or other qualifying circumstances.
Recipients must report their compliance with the work requirements to the Department of Human Services (DHS) as specified by state guidelines.
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