The national push to protect Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for millions of Americans will be the focus during a hearing in federal court in Boston on Thursday.A coalition of Democratic-run states is suing the Trump administration to prevent billions of dollars of cuts to federal food assistance.Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell is part of the suit, which was filed Tuesday.The coalition is urging the court to restore SNAP funding, arguing that the suspension of benefits is illegal.SNAP is a federal nutrition program managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that helps provide food assistance to low-income families. Approximately 42 million Americans benefit from the program, which was formerly known as food stamps. SNAP cuts are currently on track to kick in Saturday because of the government shutdown.More than 1 million Massachusetts residents will be affected; of which 32% are children, 31% are people with disabilities and 26% are older adults.”Our lawsuit filing today is to ensure that SNAP benefits continue to flow through the first and after. So we’re confident based on our legal arguments that hopefully the court will side with us,” Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said.Democratic lawmakers have been calling on the administration to use roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep food aid flowing into November, but the idea was rejected by the Department of Agriculture and the Trump administration, which argued it does not have the power to use the fund to cover the SNAP program.The lawsuit argues that Congress has “clearly indicated” the program should continue through a shutdown. It asks the court to grant a temporary restraining order and immediately reactivate benefits.”While the federal government funds and sets the monthly amount of SNAP benefits, states are responsible for administering programs in their state. Suspending SNAP benefits in this manner is both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act,” Campbell’s office wrote in a statement about the lawsuit. The hearing that is happening before District Judge Indira Talwani begins at 11 a.m.
The national push to protect Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for millions of Americans will be the focus during a hearing in federal court in Boston on Thursday.
A coalition of Democratic-run states is suing the Trump administration to prevent billions of dollars of cuts to federal food assistance.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell is part of the suit, which was filed Tuesday.
The coalition is urging the court to restore SNAP funding, arguing that the suspension of benefits is illegal.
SNAP is a federal nutrition program managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that helps provide food assistance to low-income families. Approximately 42 million Americans benefit from the program, which was formerly known as food stamps.
SNAP cuts are currently on track to kick in Saturday because of the government shutdown.
More than 1 million Massachusetts residents will be affected; of which 32% are children, 31% are people with disabilities and 26% are older adults.
“Our lawsuit filing today is to ensure that SNAP benefits continue to flow through the first and after. So we’re confident based on our legal arguments that hopefully the court will side with us,” Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said.
Democratic lawmakers have been calling on the administration to use roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep food aid flowing into November, but the idea was rejected by the Department of Agriculture and the Trump administration, which argued it does not have the power to use the fund to cover the SNAP program.
The lawsuit argues that Congress has “clearly indicated” the program should continue through a shutdown. It asks the court to grant a temporary restraining order and immediately reactivate benefits.
“While the federal government funds and sets the monthly amount of SNAP benefits, states are responsible for administering programs in their state. Suspending SNAP benefits in this manner is both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act,” Campbell’s office wrote in a statement about the lawsuit.
The hearing that is happening before District Judge Indira Talwani begins at 11 a.m.
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