Federal courts bar Trump from suspending food aid benefits

President Donald Trump’s administration cannot suspend food aid for millions of Americans during the ongoing government shutdown, two federal judges ruled on Friday, saying the government must use contingency funds to pay for the benefits.

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The dual rulings by judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island came in a pair of lawsuits seeking to block the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) suspension on Saturday of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, known as SNAP or food stamps.

Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been trading blame for the prolonged shutdown, which has put SNAP benefits in jeopardy.

It was not immediately clear whether the rulings mean that benefits will be paid on Nov. 1.

Both judges ordered the administration to report back on Monday on how it will comply with their decisions.

Mr. Trump said on social media that the federal government likely does not have legal authority to pay SNAP benefits during the government shutdown, and that his lawyers are asking courts “to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.”

“If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding,” Mr. Trump wrote.