Overview
- Two federal judges, including Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. in Rhode Island, directed the administration to pay full November SNAP benefits by Monday or issue at least partial payments using contingency funds by Wednesday and report plans by noon Monday.
- The USDA’s reserve holds about $5–6 billion, far short of the roughly $8.5–$9 billion needed for a full month, and the Rhode Island court suggested assessing whether a separate fund with about $23 billion could lawfully be used.
- The White House says it is seeking legal guidance on accessing funds and warns that getting money to states could take several days or longer, with some EBT processing potentially stretching up to two weeks.
- Food banks and soup kitchens from New York and Los Angeles to Cincinnati and Detroit report surging demand, as local groups and businesses offer stopgap help such as free meals, gift cards and expanded distributions.
- Some states are launching temporary programs, with Virginia’s VENA set to load state-funded benefits starting Monday on staggered dates, while officials say they will sunset such efforts once federal payments resume.