(Brett Rowland, The Center Square) The federal government asked an appeals court Friday to pause a lower court ruling that required the Trump administration to fully fund benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, provides federally-funded food benefits to about 42 million low-income families each month, but benefits started to run dry when Congress failed to pass bills funding the government.
“This is a crisis, to be sure, but it is a crisis occasioned by congressional failure, and that can only be solved by congressional action,” attorneys for Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins wrote on Friday. “Instead, a single district judge has devised his own solution: ordering USDA to cover the SNAP shortfall by transferring billions of dollars that were appropriated for different, equally critical food-security programs— and to do so within just one business day (i.e., by today). This unprecedented injunction makes a mockery of the separation of powers.”
Attorneys for the federal government added: “Courts hold neither the power to appropriate nor the power to spend.” They further argued the lower court had exceeded its authority with the order to fully fund the SNAP program.
“There is no lawful basis for an order that directs USDA to somehow find $4 billion in the metaphorical couch cushions,” the attorneys argued.
The administration asked the appeals court to pause the lower court’s ruling for full funding while the appeal continues.
The appeal raises questions for those who depend on the food benefits program, which is administered by the states. It drew criticism from Democrats and others.
House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig, D-Minn., said the Trump administration has the money to fund the program.
“As we’ve said from the beginning, the Trump administration has the money and the power to fully fund SNAP in November. They chose to ignore the harm caused by their actions and cut benefits instead,” Craig said. “It is truly shocking and demoralizing just how far President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins have gone to take food out of the mouths of American children, seniors, working parents, veterans and people with disabilities.”
Trump has used Department of War research funds to continue to pay members of the military, but warned that money will run out.
Crystal FitzSimons, president of Food Research & Action Center, called the appeal “abhorrent.”
“Instead of using the funding that has been readily available to feed people, this administration continues to fight to deny tens of millions from accessing the nutrition they need,” FitzSimons said in a statement. “This appeal also creates yet another layer of confusion and chaos for states and families and will continue to drive negative ripple effects throughout local economies.”
