Photo credit: News.rthk
The US Supreme Court has said the Trump administration does not have to immediately pay Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits defunded during the government shutdown, a temporary order that leaves millions in limbo.
RTHK reports that in a ruling on Friday, the court came after a lower court had ruled that the government must fully fund the SNAP program for November by the end of Friday. It ordered the administration to use contingency funds to make a multi-billion-dollar payment to states so they could distribute food stamps to around 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP to afford groceries.
However, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson of the Supreme Court issued the indiscriminate stay that pauses the process and gives the court system additional time to consider the administration’s request.
Earlier on Friday, the Department of Justice appealed to the court saying only congress had the power to resolve the case.
US government agencies have been grinding to a halt since Congress failed to approve funding past September 30, and the pain has been mounting as welfare programs hang in the balance.
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.