The Trump administration has dedicated to partially funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program with a $4.65 billion fee — however utilizing emergency funds to pay for lowered SNAP advantages may take “a number of weeks to as much as a number of months,” a prime USDA official instructed a federal choose in a sworn courtroom submitting Monday.
The disclosure comes after a federal choose in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to use emergency funds to pay for SNAP amid an ongoing authorities shutdown by Wednesday. Following the courtroom order on Friday, Trump stated it could be his “honor” to fund the meals help program.
Along with the delay, the Trump administration additionally stated it was $4 billion in need of the anticipated $8 billion value to fund SNAP for the month of November, partially as a result of they’re declining to faucet an extra bucket of emergency funds held by the U.S. Division of Agriculture, which runs SNAP.
“Defendants have labored diligently to adjust to the Courtroom’s order on the brief timeline offered by the Courtroom and through a authorities shutdown,” DOJ attorneys wrote Monday’s submitting.
“I’ve instructed our attorneys to ask the Courtroom to make clear how we will legally fund SNAP as quickly as potential,” Trump posted on social media late Friday. “If we’re given the suitable authorized path by the Courtroom, it’s going to BE MY HONOR to supply the funding.”
The $4.65 billion in funding can pay out 50% of the advantages which might be attributable to SNAP recipients in November, in line with a declaration from Patrick Penn, Deputy Underneath Secretary for Meals, Diet, and Client Companies.
That fee will utterly expend SNAP’s contingency funding, in line with Penn.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Pressure One en path to the White Home, November 2, 2025 after taking off from Palm Seashore Worldwide Airport in West Palm Seashore, Fla.
Samuel Corum/Getty Pictures
“Which means no funds will stay for brand spanking new SNAP candidates licensed in November, catastrophe help, or as a cushion towards the potential catastrophic penalties of shutting down SNAP completely,” he stated.
Whereas the Trump administration may use further funds from tariff income, referred to as Part 32, Penn stated the federal government declined to take action to save lots of the cash for baby vitamin packages.
“Amid this no-win quandary and upon additional consideration following the Courts’ orders, USDA has decided that making a shortfall in Youngster Diet Program funds to fund one month of SNAP advantages is an unacceptable threat, even contemplating the procedural difficulties with delivering a partial November SNAP fee, as a result of shifting $4 billion {dollars} to America’s SNAP inhabitants merely shifts the issue to hundreds of thousands of America’s low revenue kids that obtain their meals at college,” Penn stated.
Past the funds shortfall, Penn warned that distributing the lowered advantages may take weeks or months due to “procedural difficulties.”
“There are procedural difficulties that States will doubtless expertise which might have an effect on November SNAP advantages reaching households in a well timed method and within the accurately lowered quantities,” he wrote. “There are procedural difficulties that States will doubtless expertise which might have an effect on November SNAP advantages reaching households in a well timed method and within the accurately lowered quantities.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the highest Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, criticized the administration’s determination to not faucet tariff income to totally fund SNAP.
“The courts have ordered the administration to make use of its contingency fund to partially cowl meals help to households in want this month — and have made clear it might use its switch authorities to totally fund SNAP,” Klobuchar stated in an announcement. “It’s not sufficient to do the naked minimal — the administration ought to cease enjoying politics with starvation and use all accessible sources to make sure People can put meals on the desk.”
