Trump administration to use contingency funds to partially maintain SNAP benefits

The NBC News revealed Monday that the administration of President Donald Trump stated in several court documents that it would make partial use of contingency funds in order to continue providing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefitsthis month. As outlined by the administration, it will use the $4.65 billion in funds to cover about half of each eligible household's benefits, a decision that comes lafter a judge ordered the Agriculture Department last Friday to distribute funding for that program.

"Section 32 Child Nutrition Program funds are not a contingency fund for SNAP. Using billions of dollars from Child Nutrition for SNAP would leave an unprecedented gap in Child Nutrition funding that Congress has never had to fill with annual appropriations, and USDA cannot predict what Congress will do under these circumstances," the White House stated in the judicial document, signed by USDA Undersecretary Patrick Penn.

In that document, the Trump administration also noted that the use of these contingency funds will result in a lack of resources for new SNAP applicants, "disaster assistance, or as a cushion against the potential catastrophic consequences of shutting down SNAP entirely."

Full SNAP payment

Last Friday, Rhode Island District Judge John McConnell ordered the Republican administration to make a full SNAP paymentby Tuesday or a partial payment by Thursday. In order to make the full payment, the White House would have to tap additional funding sources beyond contingency reserves.

"There is no question that the congressionally approved contingency funds must be used now because of the shutdown; in fact, the President during his first term issued guidance indicating that these contingency funds are available if SNAP funds lapse due to a government shutdown," McConnell wrote in the order, referencing a 2019 Q&A email drafted by a SNAP administrator.