The U.S. Department of Agriculture directed states to "immediately undo" any steps taken to issue full food assistance benefits to Americans whose aid hangs in limbo.
The big picture: The Trump administration is fiercely fighting a judge's order to fully fund SNAP benefits for some 40 million Americans who rely on federal assistance.
- The Supreme Court added to the twisting legal saga Friday by pausing a federal judge's order to distribute the funds. That left states in limbo, as some had already begun processing payments.
Driving the news: "Pending any explicit direction to the contrary from Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), States must not transmit full benefit issuance files to EBT processors," a Saturday memo to state and regional directors instructed.
- Rather, it instructed states to "continue to process and load the partial issuance files" detailed in previous guidance. It described any disbursement of "full SNAP payment files" as "unauthorized."
- Failure to halt or claw back efforts to issue full benefits could result in the cancellation of the federal share of state administrative costs, among other actions, the memo read.
The latest: In filings in two cases challenging the government over SNAP benefits, the administration's counsel said that states that filed "payment files for full November benefits" were not authorized to do so.
- States that "decided to submit their files early" are "responsible for the consequences of that action," since the states knew the administration had intended to seek an emergency stay from the court, the filing read.
What they're saying: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D), one of the governors who moved last week to distribute benefits, said in a statement that she is "disgusted that President Trump has the audacity to take taxpayers' money away from them when they are in crisis."
- Her office said in a press release that SNAP users should continue to use their Oregon Trail Cards (EBT cards) as they normally would.
- Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) did not mince words with his response: "No."
- "Our administration is actively in court fighting against the Trump Administration's efforts to yank food assistance away from Wisconsin's kids, families, and seniors," he added.
Catch up quick: Late last week, an appeals court shot down the Trump administration's request to block a judge's ruling requiring it pay SNAP benefits in full by Friday.
- But the government swiftly filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court, which ultimately granted a temporary pause while the case proceeds.
Friction point: Democrats on the Sunday political talk show circuit flamed the administration over its refusals to disburse food assistance during the record-breaking government shutdown, though Republicans continue to point fingers at Democratic lawmakers over the lapse.
- The president "is literally breaking the law so people can starve," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said on "Face the Nation." He added that "we're not going to sit there and tolerate it in our state," as he's authorized additional funding streams to support residents.
- He told CBS News' Margaret Brennan that there's been "no clarity at all" from the federal government. Moore said states had now received guidance they'd be "punished for fronting the money. There is a chaos, and it is an intentional chaos that we are seeing from this administration."
- But West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, told Brennan the White House had been "very supportive." Some one in six West Virginians received SNAP aid in fiscal year 2024, per the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
What they're saying: Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) questioned on ABC's "This Week," "Who works so hard? Who goes all the way through the court system to cut food from people who need it right now?"
Yes, but: National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett argued that distributing additional funds beyond a partial allotment would be "really pushing the boundaries of the law."
- However, legal scholars say the administration has already risked running afoul of the Antideficiency Act, which holds that agencies can't spend more than Congress authorizes, with its stopgap workarounds.
Go deeper: The food crisis is here
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information and context throughout.
