SNAP recipients still may see delays in their benefits
By Jane Norman, States Newsroom
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Saturday issued a written order saying there is “no question” that U.S. Department of Agriculture contingency funds must be used to provide food assistance for 42 million Americans during the government shutdown.
Where to find help
To see an Oregon Department of Human Services resources guide for those in need come Nov. 1, click here
The Ashland Community Food Bank is open 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and the third Saturday of each month at 560 Clover Lane, Ashland
Food is available from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. every third Saturday at Greensprings Community Food Pantry, 16151 Highway 66
ACCESS Food Pantries
2 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays at Ashland First United Methodist Church, 175 N. Main St., Ashland
4 to 5 p.m. Mondays at Talent Community Center, 104 E. Main St., Talent
For a list of all Jackson County food pantries, click here
For those who want to help, donations may be made to the following organizations online (click on the name for more information):
Ashland Community Food Bank
ACCESS
Salvation Army
Rhode Island U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. had said during a Friday hearing he was granting a temporary restraining order sought by cities and nonprofit groups. McConnell ordered that the government distribute payments of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits.
Because Congress is locked in a stalemate over a stopgap spending bill and did not appropriate money for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, Trump administration officials had said the program could not provide SNAP benefits beyond Saturday.
In response to McConnell, President Donald Trump in a social media post later Friday said administration lawyers believed the funds could not legally be paid and that he needed clarification about how to distribute SNAP benefits.
“I do not want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT,” Trump said. “If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding …”
Government lawyers also filed a brief in the Rhode Island case asking McConnell to clarify how his order could legally be carried out, noting it was delivered orally and there was no written transcript.
In his Saturday order, McConnell, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, quoted Trump and said, “So, here’s the ORDER and here’s the legal direction from the Court.”
In a footnote, the McConnell order also said: “The Court greatly appreciates the President’s quick and definitive response to this Court’s Order and his desire to provide the necessary SNAP funding.”
McConnell said it was likely that the plaintiffs would succeed in their case. He noted that Congress appropriated funds for SNAP in an annual spending bill, and lawmakers directed that $3 billion should be put in reserve through Sept. 30, 2026. Another $3 billion in a later bill was put aside until Sept. 30, 2027.
“There is no question that the congressionally approved contingency funds must be used now because of the shutdown; in fact, the President during his first term issued guidance indicating that these contingency funds are available if SNAP funds lapse due to a government shutdown,” McConnell said.
Two options in written order
Because the $6 billion is not enough to cover the estimated $9 billion cost of November benefits, government lawyers have said it would be difficult to determine reduced benefits, McConnell said.
He said USDA then should “within its discretion, find the additional funds necessary” to fund the full $9 billion, suggesting use of $23 billion in a fund for state child nutrition programs.
If the government chooses to make full SNAP payments for November, it must do so by the end of the day Monday, he said. If instead the government makes a partial payment of SNAP funds, then it must pay out all the $6 billion in contingency funds by Wednesday, he said.
He asked the government to update him by noon Monday how it was complying with the order.
In a separate case, a federal judge in Boston also ruled Friday that the USDA plan to pause SNAP was illegal — but gave the Trump administration until Monday to respond to her finding before she decides on a motion to force the benefits be paid despite the ongoing government shutdown.
No matter what happens on Monday, experts and a key member of Congress have said that some SNAP recipients still may see delays in their benefits because changes in administration from the federal government to states to vendors take time. In states, SNAP benefits are loaded onto cards on varying dates, but the Saturday cutoff would have been effective for November benefits.
As the Washington Bureau Chief of States Newsroom, Jane Norman directs national coverage, managing staff and freelance reporters in the nation’s capital and assigning and editing state-specific daily and enterprise stories. Jane is a veteran of more than three decades in journalism. This story first appeared on the States Newsroom website.
