Most D.C.-area leaders agree with two federal judges鈥� rulings Friday, ordering President Donald Trump’s administration to continue paying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, using emergency reserve funds during the government shutdown.
State attorneys general and governors from 25 states, as well as D.C., sued the Trump administration as the Department of Agriculture planned to freeze payments to SNAP starting on Monday. The administration argued that the department could no longer keep funding the program due to the shutdown.
In both cases, the federal government must provide a plan on how the program will be funded by Monday. The administration did not say whether it would appeal to the rulings.
Prior to the judge鈥檚 ruling, Maryland and Virginia declared states of emergency and D.C. announced a backup plan to keep supporting its SNAP recipients.
Maryland
Following the ruling, said the court agreed that the Department of Agriculture cannot 鈥渓awfully cut off Marylanders鈥� SNAP benefits.鈥� Brown joined the lawsuit and said he plans to continue fighting in court 鈥渢o force the federal government to fund SNAP benefits鈥� for families that rely on it to put food on the table.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said he was 鈥渆ncouraged鈥� by the ruling and called for the Department of Agriculture to release the emergency funds. On Thursday, Moore declared a state of emergency to keep food banks operating across the state.
鈥淲e have long said: The Trump administration must follow the law, release contingency funding for SNAP, and lead congressional Republicans in ending the federal government shutdown,鈥� Moore said in a statement. 鈥淔or millions of Americans 鈥� including 680,000 Marylanders 鈥� SNAP is a lifeline.鈥�
Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman said she is 鈥渄eeply relieved鈥� by the ruling and called it 鈥渁 victory for the more than 680,000鈥� residents who rely on the program. Had the suspension of SNAP funding continued, Lierman said the ripple effects could have harmed the state鈥檚 economy.
鈥淪NAP is a critical safety net and an important economic stabilizer,鈥� Lierman said. 鈥淓very dollar in SNAP benefits circulates quickly through our communities, supporting Maryland鈥檚 grocers, farmers, and retailers, and generating measurable growth in our state GDP.鈥�
DC
In a post on X, said the Department of Agriculture acted 鈥渦nlawfully鈥� in suspending SNAP payments for November.
鈥淔amilies should not go hungry when there are billions in contingency funds for this very purpose,鈥� Schwalb said. 鈥淲e will keep fighting because every meal matters.鈥�
In the interim, Schwalb confirmed that D.C. will follow its backup plan and use local funds to ensure residents on SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, receive their November benefits.
The city will use $29 million from its contingency cash reserve for SNAP and $1.5 million for WIC, including direct benefits and support services.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser previously stated about 85,000 households in D.C. receive SNAP, and that more than 12,500 residents benefit from WIC.
Virginia
After announcing a state of emergency, Virginia launched the Emergency Nutrition Assistance initiative to help fill the funding gap for its SNAP recipients.
Under the program, people receiving SNAP will automatically get payments added to their existing EBT cards. Instead of receiving their full monthly benefits at once, recipients will get smaller payments every week in November.
Attorney General Jason Miyares told 海角精品黑料鈥檚 Nick Iannelli that Virginia鈥檚 budget surplus allows the state to use its funds to protect its residents鈥� SNAP benefits.
鈥淵ou never know what’s going to happen in a judge’s ruling,鈥� Miyares said. 鈥淭hat’s exactly why we have these reserve funds. When you have emergencies like this, you never know how a judge is going to rule.鈥�
海角精品黑料鈥檚 Nick Iannelli, Mike Murrillo and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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