Overview
- The administration filed an appeal of the Rhode Island order, creating uncertainty over whether full benefits will be delivered on the Friday deadline.
- USDA shifted from an initial 50% plan to a 65% cap after recalculations, drawing on about $4.65 billion in contingency funds against roughly $8.5–$9 billion in monthly costs.
- State officials say recalculating partial benefits on aging EBT systems could take weeks, though some jurisdictions have begun limited disbursements as early as Friday.
- Judge John McConnell said partial funding ignored foreseeable delays and harms, noting SNAP payments lapsed on Nov. 1 for the first time in the program’s history.
- Food banks and state relief efforts report surging demand and stopgap aid, while the White House has resisted tapping other reserves identified by plaintiffs.