USDA Allocates Contingency Funds for Food Aid Amid Court Ruling

The Trump administration plans to partially fund food aid using contingency funds after a court ruling. The USDA will fulfill SNAP benefits' obligations for November, but it won't fully cover the costs for 42 million Americans, despite the availability of other funding sources.

The Trump administration announced its intention to partially fund food aid for millions of Americans following a court order mandating the use of contingency funds. This initiative comes after judges determined that emergency resources must be utilized for the November benefits amidst the government shutdown.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed its plan in a federal court filing in Rhode Island, responding to a directive from U.S. District Judge John McConnell. The judge ordered the agency to tap into these emergency funds to at least partially cover the benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) this November. The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed USDA's compliance with this order.

Despite agreeing to deplete the $5.25 billion in contingency funds, the administration clarified it won't employ additional funding to fully subsidize SNAP benefits for 42 million Americans, which requires $8 billion to $9 billion monthly.

(With inputs from agencies.)