Whew! Twenty-five states are sending a clear message to the Trump: don’t play with people’s plates!
The states along with the District of Columbia have joined forces to sue the Trump administration, accusing it of cutting off a crucial lifeline for millions of Americans during the ongoing government shutdown.
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The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Massachusetts, challenges the administration’s decision to withhold Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits l after refusing to use emergency funds to keep the program afloat.
For over 40 million Americans, SNAP isn’t optional. It’s the difference between dinner and going to bed hungry. And now, with food stamps set to stop this weekend, states say the federal government is breaking the law and breaking its promises.
New York Attorney General Letitia James came out swinging:
“Millions of Americans are about to go hungry because the federal government has chosen to withhold food assistance it is legally obligated to provide,” James said Tuesday. She went on to remind the administration what’s at stake:
“SNAP is one of our nation’s most effective tools to fight hunger, and the USDA has the money to keep it running. There is no excuse for this administration to abandon families who rely on SNAP, or food stamps, as a lifeline.”
The lawsuit doesn’t hold back either, calling the move “contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act.” According to the filing, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed that benefits will cease by Saturday, something that’s never happened in the program’s history.
Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans keep pointing fingers, trading blame over who’s responsible for the shutdown and the food aid freeze. But for millions of households living paycheck to paycheck, politics won’t fill the fridge.
As one advocate put it: this isn’t just about policy… it’s about survival. And the states are making it clear: they’re not letting the government play hunger games with their people.