Trump Administration Seeks Supreme Court Action to Suspend $4 Billion in Food Aid Until Legislative Resolution

The has filed a formal request with the U.S. to maintain a hold on approximately $4 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The move aims to keep the program partially funded until Congress passes legislation to reopen the federal government. This legal action follows a series of court rulings and administrative decisions that have left the future of the program in legal limbo.

The administration’s filing underscores its ongoing efforts to limit the scope of emergency spending for the food aid program. It argues that the current legal dispute over full funding for November’s benefits is a product of , and not a responsibility of the executive branch. The administration has pledged to continue its legal strategy despite recent progress in the Senate toward a potential government reopening deal.

The current hold on the disputed funds is in effect until Tuesday night, following an order issued by . This temporary stay was put in place to give lower courts additional time to assess the legality of the administration’s request for partial funding. The stay was issued in response to a previous ruling by a federal district judge in Rhode Island, which mandated full funding for SNAP benefits. The administration contends that this ruling oversteps judicial authority by directing how federal funds should be spent.

The administration’s position is that the full funding requirement imposed by the district court creates significant uncertainty for federal program management. D. John Sauer, representing the administration in the filing, argued that enforcing the lower court’s order risks undermining a potential compromise between Congress and the administration. He emphasized that the current political negotiations could still unravel if courts force immediate spending decisions.

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In the absence of a full funding agreement, many SNAP recipients have been forced to seek assistance from food banks and community aid programs. These resources are already strained due to the unprecedented nature of the current government shutdown, which marks the longest in U.S. history. Without legislative clarity, both the administration and the courts face increasing pressure to resolve the funding issue before further harm is done to vulnerable populations.