Judge Talwani Orders Trump Admin To Fund Food Aid

WASHINGTON, DC -Two US federal judges, including Judge Indira Talwani in Massachusetts, have ordered President Donald Trump to continue paying benefits under a food assistance program, despite a prolonged government shutdown that has left many agencies without funding.

The rulings require the administration to use emergency reserves to finance the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the country’s largest food aid scheme. SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program, provides basic nutrition assistance to low-income families and supports roughly 42 million Americans.

The court orders came before the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees SNAP, had planned to suspend payments due to the funding lapse. The government shutdown, now in its fifth week, has blocked many agencies from operating normally as Congress and the White House remain deadlocked over spending legislation.

Judge John J. McConnell of the US District Court in Rhode Island ruled that the administration “must distribute the contingency money as soon as possible” so that benefits can continue in November. Around the same time, Judge Indira Talwani  ordered the government to explain by November 3 how it would ensure funding for the program.

The order comes in response to a lawsuit against the Trump administration brought by 25 states, including Massachusetts.

Speaking about the issue, Trump told reporters that the SNAP program largely served “Democrat” voters. He quickly added, “When you talk about SNAP, you’re talking about largely Democrats, but I’m President. I want to help everybody. I want to help Democrats and Republicans.” (IANS)