Funds freed to float food assistance, will it be enough?

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP benefits could be seeing some relief, after two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to keep the program afloat.

But according to court documents, it’s going to be half of the normal payment, and it’s going to be late.

42 Million Americans – 1 in 8 people rely on SNAP for food assistance. That averages out to 190 dollars per person – costing the government upwards of 9 billion dollars monthly.

Once the shutdown hit – there were $5 billion dollars in emergency funds.

Originally, the Trump administration said they would use that money to fund SNAP. But then they changed the rules.

25 states and the District of Columbia sued, which brings us to Monday.

Two judges ruled in the state’s favor, saying the administration had to use that money for SNAP.

According court documents, the USDA will use $4.65 billion to fund 50% of eligible households.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told Gray Television Monday – they wanted to do the right thing.. they just didn’t know how.

“What the president said logically was okay, your Honor. If you’re saying we can do it, I’ll go for that because I want Snap to go to the people. It’s the Democrats. It stopped it, not us. So tell me how to do it,” said Speaker Johnson.

Skye Perryman with Democracy Forward, who filed one of the lawsuits, isn’t buying it.

“It should not take a court order to force the president and his administration to provide 42 million people nutritional assistance that is required under the law. Unfortunately, it has taken a court order, and we’re going to continue to use the courts to ensure that people can receive their full payments,” said Perryman.

The USDA also says some states might not see the money for snap for weeks, even months.