The Supreme Court has extended an order blocking full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments, choosing to wait out the anticipated end of the government shutdown rather than making a final legal ruling. This prolongs a chaotic situation for the 42 million Americans who rely on food aid.
The Impact of the Supreme Court Order
- Status of Payments: The extension keeps a wildly inconsistent situation in place:
- Beneficiaries in some states have received their full monthly allocations.
- Beneficiaries in other states have received nothing.
- Some states have issued partial payments (up to 65% of regular benefits).
- Dissent: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only justice to state she would have immediately revived the lower court orders to ensure full payments.
- USDA Blamed: A coalition of cities and non-profits challenging the pause blamed the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the chaos, citing the agency’s “delays and intransigence.”
Looming End to the Shutdown
- Congressional Action: The Senate has passed legislation to reopen the federal government, which includes replenishing SNAP funds. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill as early as Wednesday.
- Uncertainty on Resumption: While reopening the government would restart the program, it is not clear how quickly full payments will resume.
- State Challenges: Advocates warn that it is easier for states to make full payments quickly than partial ones, and those that issued partial benefits may face technical challenges in sending out the remaining amount.
A Crisis for Families
The continued pause and uncertainty are causing severe hardship:
Example: Jim Malliard, a full-time caretaker in Pennsylvania, had not received his $350 monthly payment by Monday, despite some people in his state getting full benefits. He reported being down to $10 and relying on rice and ramen, calling his anxiety “putting it mildly.”
The situation has also prompted community action, with people like Ashley Oxenford setting up “little food pantries” for neighbors in need.
The Legal and Political Fight
The Supreme Court’s action avoids a substantive ruling on a fierce legal debate over whether the government is required to use emergency funds to fully pay for SNAP during a shutdown.
- The Trump administration has consistently argued that the courts should not reallocate resources and that only Congress can end the crisis by reopening the government.
- The Senate-passed deal aims to resolve the funding issue, but the Supreme Court’s pause on the full payments remains a temporary political and legal path of “least resistance.”
