The U.S. Department of Agriculture has defended its decision not to use a contingency fund for November’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is facing disruption due to the federal government shutdown, warning that using the reserve “would be both legally dubious and practically disastrous.”
Dozens of states are suing the department, which oversees SNAP food stamps, demanding the estimated $5 to $6 billion contingency fund be used when funds run dry in November. More than 40 million Americans use SNAP to pay for groceries.
In a court filing on Wednesday, the department argued the money is needed for emergencies, such as natural disasters, and concluded, “wiping out the long-term emergency fund, or depleting the Child Nutrition Programs, would be both legally dubious and practically disastrous. The limited irreparable harm to the States themselves cannot support emergency sweeping relief, and any such order would lead to a chaotic, and still insufficient, disbursement of SNAP benefits.”
The government estimated SNAP requires $9.2 billion in November, though other estimates put the figure at about $8 billion, monthly, far exceeding the reserve.
In the filing, the government said releasing funds that would not cover the full amount is unprecedented and would cause widespread issues.
“Any attempt to calculate and implement a nationwide reduction would long delay this round of benefits, any round of benefits restoring beneficiaries to the full amount for November, and a future round of benefits returning to the standard calculation,” it said.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and other states are seeking an injunction.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
