Overview
- U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. directed the administration to tap roughly $6 billion in contingency funds, file a compliance plan by noon ET Monday, and issue at least a partial November payment by Wednesday.
- A separate ruling by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani deemed the suspension unlawful and required USDA to report Monday on whether it will provide reduced benefits or fully fund November using additional lawful sources.
- SNAP benefits for about 42 million people were not deposited on Nov. 1 due to the shutdown, and even with court-ordered funding, EBT processing means restorations will roll out on staggered timelines.
- The available reserve of about $5–6 billion is well below the roughly $8–9+ billion needed for November, reinforcing that any near-term issuances will not cover a full month.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said payments could restart as soon as Wednesday if the legal process is clarified, as food banks see surging demand and states launch stopgaps such as Virginia’s VENA deposits.