Trump administration to partially fund SNAP benefits amid gov't shutdown

The Trump administration announced on Monday that it will provide partial funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as the federal government shutdown reached its 34th day and approached a record for the longest in U.S. history.

“I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT. Therefore, I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible," U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Friday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated in a court filing on Monday that $4.65 billion from a contingency fund will be allocated for November SNAP benefits, which could cover 50 percent of eligible households' current allotments.

The decision came after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the department on Friday to use the contingency fund to pay SNAP recipients.

Another federal judge in Massachusetts stated in a separate case on Friday that the Trump administration's plan to withhold SNAP benefits starting November 1 during the federal government shutdown was likely "unlawful." However, the judge did not order the administration to release the funds.

The Trump administration previously claimed that it lacked legal authority to access the 5 to 6 billion dollars in emergency funds to cover at least part of SNAP, which requires over 8 billion dollars to fund benefits for November.

SNAP is the nation's largest anti-hunger program helping nearly 42 million people. Most SNAP recipients live at or below the federal poverty line.