Judges Order SNAP Funding, Call Freeze Unlawful

Two federal judges, John J. McConnell and Indira Talwani, ordered the administration to continue funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the government shutdown and directed USDA to tap contingency or other emergency funds if necessary. The rulings came hours before USDA planned a Nov. 1 payment freeze that threatened benefits for roughly 42 million Americans, with SNAP costing about $8–9 billion per month and contingency reserves totaling roughly $5–6 billion. The judges found the administration’s refusal to use those reserves arbitrary or unlawful and gave the government until Monday to report back on how it will comply, while indicating USDA could draw on multiple funds and continue existing waivers. The administration responded that it lacks legal authority to access the contingency pot amid lapsed appropriations, and the White House publicly blamed Democrats and said its lawyers would seek clarification. Critics warned that administrative and logistical delays could still leave some recipients waiting days or weeks for payments, prompting states, food banks and charities to scramble and leading some states to use their own funds to bridge gaps.