Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended a temporary freeze on a lower-court ruling that would have forced the Trump administration to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) this month, leaving millions of families uncertain about food aid as the government shutdown enters its 43rd day.
The unsigned order means the administration will not, for now, have to distribute roughly $4 billion in additional SNAP benefits ordered by U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island. The pause remains in effect until midnight Thursday.
The justices’ move came as Congress appeared close to ending the shutdown. The House is expected to vote Wednesday on a bipartisan measure that would reopen the government and fund SNAP through September 2026. The Senate passed the bill Monday night.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she would have denied the government’s request to keep the lower-court ruling on hold.
In court filings, Solicitor General D. John Sauer said the only solution to the crisis is for Congress to restore funding. “The only way to end this crisis — which the Executive is adamant to end — is for Congress to reopen the government,” Sauer wrote.
The Trump administration has maintained that because of the shutdown, it could draw only $5 billion from a contingency fund — enough to pay about two-thirds of November’s SNAP benefits, which typically cost $9 billion a month. Judge McConnell had ordered the administration to use money from a separate account for child nutrition programs, known as Section 32, to make up the difference.
By extending the stay, the high court’s decision effectively leaves the food assistance program about 65% funded until the shutdown ends or Congress acts.
Roughly 42 million Americans depend on SNAP — commonly known as food stamps — for groceries. The administration’s refusal to fully fund the program had been challenged by a coalition of cities, churches and food assistance nonprofits, which warned of widespread hunger if benefits were delayed or reduced.
The ruling marks another flashpoint in the shutdown’s broad fallout, which has stretched across government programs from air traffic control to housing assistance. But with a funding deal potentially hours away, the court’s move may soon be overtaken by congressional action.
