Attorney General Bonta Urges Appellate Court to Reject Trump Administration’s Continued Efforts to Slash SNAP Benefits for Low-Income Americans

OAKLAND— California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a multistate amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, urging it to deny the Trump Administration’s request to block a lower court’s order requiring full funding of November SNAP benefits. Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island issued a ruling directing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide those benefits in full. Instead of focusing on getting vital food assistance to the more than 41 million low-income Americans who rely on SNAP benefits to put food on the table, the Trump Administration responded by filing a notice of appeal, seeking to block full payment of November SNAP benefits. Now, the Trump Administration has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to grant an emergency pause of the lower court’s order by 1:00 pm PT/4:00 pm ET today. 

“What the Trump Administration is doing is outrageous. It is fighting our efforts to fully fund November SNAP benefits, which prevent more than 41 million low-income Americans from going hungry. We are the richest country in the world, and despite the government shutdown, the Trump Administration can fully fund November SNAP benefits. But it is choosing not to. Intentionally. Deliberately. Cruelly,” said Attorney General Bonta. “My fellow attorneys general and I refuse to stand idly by. We urge the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to reject the Trump Administration’s efforts to take food off low-income Americans’ tables.”

Today’s amicus brief underscores that USDA has the money to fully fund SNAP and should do so immediately to prevent further harm to states. The coalition argues that USDA’s needlessly complicated guidance regarding reduced benefits has sown chaos in states. The coalition also explains that the loss of SNAP benefits has a ripple effect on other state services, as increased food insecurity creates a strain on state safety net programs, healthcare institutions, and educational institutions. In California, SNAP benefits have started to flow to many recipients pursuant to the district court’s order, but the federal government has now sought to block that order.

On October 28, Attorney General Bonta co-led a coalition of 23 attorneys general and three governors in filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against the USDA, Secretary Brooke Rollins, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and Director Russell Vought over the unlawful suspension of SNAP benefits for the month of November. Days later, two federal district courts determined that the Trump Administration acted unlawfully by choosing to suspend November SNAP benefits. Earlier this week, Attorney General Bonta issued a statement criticizing the Administration’s decision to provide only partial November SNAP benefits, despite being able to fully fund those benefits. Yesterday, Attorney General Bonta issued a statement celebrating the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island’s decision and calling out the Trump Administration for appealing that court’s order. The lawsuit in the District of Rhode Island was brought by a coalition of local governments, nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and workers’ rights organizations. 

A copy of the amicus brief can be found here.