A federal judge ordered President Donald Trump to unleash emergency funding for a critical food assistance program on the brink of running out of money to help feed millions of Americans.
Another federal judge has ruled that the government is likely illegally blocking emergency funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), hours before those funds are cut off.
But the president says he first wants the courts to “clarify” how he can legally fund the program “as soon as possible.”
“If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding,” he said.
It will be delayed in any case because it takes time to get it out.
The judges are giving Democrats cover, making it look like Trump is the problem. They have no right to make these orders. It also allows Democrats to continue this outrageous shutdown before the welfare recipients start stealing and rioting.
Even if the administration could use the $5.25 billion, they need $9 billion for November alone.
Sec. Rollins Doesn’t Have Money for SNAP
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins denied reports on Oct. 31 that her agency has money to pay for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that will be cut or suspended for beneficiaries starting Nov. 1.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Rollins said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a contingency fund, but it doesn’t cover “even half” of what’s needed to provide funding for SNAP beneficiaries.
Also, “it is only allowed to flow if the underlying program is funded,” Rollins said.
She added that the suggestion that the USDA has the money to pay for the program “is a lie.” Democratic-led states have argued in a lawsuit against the federal government that not only can that contingency money be used, but it must be. They also said a separate fund with around $23 billion could be tapped.
Lawyers for the federal government argued that dispersing the full benefits would violate a law that bars the government from paying for programs without a congressional appropriation. In court papers, the federal government said partial payments would require complicated recalculations of benefits that could take weeks.
“If there’s no appropriation, there really is no program,” Justice Department attorney Tyler Becker said at the hearing on Friday. “The government cannot just add funding when no program exists.”
“Such a partial payment has never been made — and for good reason,” the administration said in court filings. “It would require each State to recalculate the benefits owed based on the reduced funds available. USDA estimates that such a calculation, involving complicated system changes and processes dictated by statute and regulation, would take weeks, if it can be done at all.”
Trump needs to give all this to the states, and have them deal with it accordingly…
https://canadafreepress.com/article/snap-and-the-constitution
Trump is smart. Put it back on these leftist judges to tell him how he can legally comply with their irrational orders. Oh, I said “legally?” These judges don’t give a flip about legality as long as they can somehow thwart Trump.
These payments are controlled by computer programs. If someone wants to pay partial payments, new rules need to be drawn up on how to disburse the funds and new computer programs need to be written to facilitate the new method. Do you send every recipient a partial payment or do you pay the most needy first? If the judge wants… Read more »
When is this idiot president finally going to tell these scumbag judges to go pound salt? He’s a coward and a fraud. Resign already. MAGA my patoot!
The legislative branch funds SNAP. We’re not taking money away from ICE and BP to give to illegals. The USA has over $30T in debt, no reasonable person thinks it has money just laying around to spend.
Congress has to approve funds which they haven’t just another rogue lib judge.