{"id":274968,"date":"2025-10-29T10:45:55","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T15:45:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=274968"},"modified":"2025-10-29T11:01:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T16:01:37","slug":"cronkite-news-states-sue-to-restore-food-aid-for-millions-of-americans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/10\/29\/cronkite-news-states-sue-to-restore-food-aid-for-millions-of-americans\/","title":{"rendered":"Cronkite News: States sue to restore food aid for millions of Americans"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Supplemental<\/a>
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at the Department of Agriculture serves about 42 million Americans. SNAP is also commonly referred to as food stamps. Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n
25 states sue to force USDA to fund SNAP food aid during shutdown<\/div>\r\n
Wednesday, October 29, 2025<\/div>\r\n
By Nick Karmia<\/div>\r\n
Cronkite News<\/DIV>\r\n
cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A><\/DIV>\r\n

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WASHINGTON — Arizona and 24 other states sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday, accusing the Trump administration of illegally freezing food aid for 42 million Americans during the government shutdown.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThis suspension of benefits doesn\u2019t just take food off of family\u2019s tables,\u201d state Attorney General Kris Mayes said at a news conference in Phoenix. \u201cIt sucks a huge amount of money out of Arizona\u2019s economy and it hurts everyone along the food supply chain.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The USDA told states Friday<\/a> that the funds would run out eight days later, on November 1, despite a plan<\/a> issued before the shutdown started Sept. 30 stating it would keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program running.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The 51-page complaint<\/a> filed in federal court in Massachusetts argues that the USDA is unlawfully cutting off funds for SNAP, which is often referred to as food stamps.<\/p>\r\n

The states say the department can and should tap its $6 billion contingency reserve to keep benefits flowing.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

One in eight Americans rely on the program. Arizona follows the national average. In fiscal year 2024, the state issued just over $2 billion in SNAP benefits for 950,978 residents, including 401,455 children and 135,677 seniors, according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cSNAP benefits have never been interrupted by a lapse in appropriations,\u201d the lawsuit says.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The Trump administration defended its decision to let SNAP come to a halt for the first time during a shutdown, blaming Democrats for the impending crisis for blocking the Republican budget. <\/p>\r\n

Acknowledging that 42 million Americans “face hunger November 1 without SNAP funding,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins posted on X that “Democrats are running out of excuses. OPEN. THE. GOVERNMENT.”<\/p>\r\n

States typically load SNAP funds onto recipients\u2019 debit cards on the first day of the month. With that deadline four days away, the coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia asked the court to order the USDA to immediately resume payments.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cApproved participants \u2026 will be unable to collect November benefits until federal funding is released to states,\u201d the Arizona Department of Economic Security, which administers the program in the state, says on its website.<\/p>\r\n \"USDA.gov<\/a>

This screenshot of the USDA.gov homepage from October 28, 2025, shows a message attacking Democrats over the government shutdown and the impending laps in SNAP funding.<\/figcaption>\r\n

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The USDA\u2019s shutdown plan<\/a> cited multi-year contingency funds \u201cavailable to fund participant benefits in the event that a lapse occurs in the middle of the fiscal year.\u201d Its Friday memo to states reversed that stance, asserting that contingency reserves are \u201cnot legally available\u201d because Congress has yet to provide funding for the new fiscal year.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

\u201cWe are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats,\u201d the USDA said in a statement. \u201cContinue to hold out for the Far-Left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans defend the refusal to tap emergency funds, given that the funding lapsed between fiscal years, not in the middle of one.<\/p>\r\n

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The clock is ticking. \u23f0
\u207042M Americans face hunger Nov 1 without SNAP funding.

Senate Dems voted 13x against a clean CR to keep families fed \u2014 Democrats are running out of excuses.

OPEN. THE. GOVERNMENT. https:\/\/t.co\/oeg4AmjDDf<\/a><\/p>— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) October 28, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>