Supreme Court Saves SNAP: $4B Aid Withheld Amid Shutdown Drama

The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily allowed the Trump administration to withhold $4 billion needed for November's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding—amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. This administrative stay grants the lower courts additional time to assess the administration's formal request to cut SNAP funding.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who authorized the stay, set it to expire soon after the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston rules on the administration's request to stop a lower court's mandate to provide full SNAP funding, which costs about $8.5 to $9 billion monthly. U.S. District Judge John McConnell previously ruled that emergency funds should be used to prevent a shortfall.

The decision to withhold funds has been contested, with the Department of Justice warning of potential shutdown chaos. States like New York and Massachusetts, reacting to USDA notifications, are working to fill the gap, while the broader issue remains under appeal by the Trump administration in the courts.