A coalition of over two dozen states has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, demanding that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) be continued during the ongoing government shutdown.
Lawsuit Calls SNAP Suspension Illegal
The lawsuit, co-led by states including New York, California, and Massachusetts, was filed on Tuesday. The states are seeking a federal court order to compel the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to utilize emergency reserve funds to provide food benefits to the about 42 million families and children who rely on SNAP.
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, alleges that the USDA’s actions have resulted in a delay in SNAP benefits, a first since the program’s inception. The states argue that suspending these benefits is both “capricious” and “arbitrary” under the Administrative Procedure Act.
Letitia James, New York State Attorney General, stated, “Millions of Americans are about to go hungry because the federal government has chosen to withhold food assistance it is legally obligated to provide.”
Rollins Calls On Democrats To End Shutdown
The USDA had earlier warned that the SNAP benefits “well has run dry” for November. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had called it ‘shameful’ that there weren’t enough funds to provide SNAP to millions of Americans.
Despite the lawsuit, Rollins reiterated on Fox News on Tuesday that the USDA does not have the funds for SNAP and that the Democrats must end the shutdown.
Senators Push Bills To Continue SNAP
The government shutdown has put the funding of SNAP in jeopardy, prompting a response from lawmakers. Ten senators, including a Democrat, have backed a bill, initiated by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) last week, to fund SNAP until the government shutdown ends.
The bill, known as the Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025, aims to ensure that the food aid program continues to receive funding until the USDA can access its appropriations or stopgap measures.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are set to introduce their own bill to ensure food aid benefits continue before the Nov. 1 funding cliff. Led by Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), the proposal would require the administration to fund both SNAP and the food aid program for low-income women and children, while reimbursing states that pay benefits during the shutdown, reported Politico. Most Senate Democrats, including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), back Luján's bill — though it currently has no Republican co-sponsors.
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