Supreme Court Extends Stay on $4 Billion SNAP Funding

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday extended a temporary stay on a lower court's order requiring the Trump administration to fully fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for November, allowing the withholding of about $4 billion in federal aid amid an ongoing government shutdown. The decision, issued without explanation or vote count, affects approximately 42 million low-income Americans who rely on the program, known as SNAP or food stamps, to purchase groceries.

The extension, which runs until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, November 13, builds on an initial administrative stay granted last Friday by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. That order had paused a ruling from U.S. District Judge John McConnell, who directed the administration to use funds from the Section 32 child nutrition account to cover full SNAP payments. McConnell's decision came after states sued, arguing that suspending benefits would cause irreparable harm to vulnerable families. The Department of Agriculture had begun complying, instructing states to prepare full disbursements, but reversed course following Jackson's stay, directing states to issue only partial payments of about 65 percent and warning...