Just earlier in the month of October, you must have come to know that almost 25 states in the U.S. are suing the Trump administration. And what for exactly? Well, as it came to be, the federal government has decided to hold back on food assistance funds under the SNAP program, and that is literally causing millions of Americans to suffer, as per the state’s argument. So sure enough, this case is a big one, and if you want to know why States Suing Trump Administration, then just keep on reading.
First Of All, What Really Is This SNAP Thing?
SNAP is just the acronym for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides help to low-income families to buy groceries. It is used by millions every month. And as the shutdown is still happening, these benefits will be the first to suffer; that pretty much is the reason why this lawsuit is very important.
And What Was The 2025 Government Shutdown About?
It’s been 28 days, and the federal government is still partially shut down, and the situation has not improved since then. Their inability to pass a funding bill, due to which the federal government has been operating without a budget since October 1, 2025, is what the blame lies with the lawmakers – in fact, there have been 13 unsuccessful attempts made. As a result of the absence of a budget, essential services such as SNAP are in a kind of halfway state.
This just means that households may begin to witness the termination of their food benefits in as early a week as this week. Just envision yourself being in a grocery store line and your SNAP card suddenly failing to operate. Well, this is actually the situation that the lawsuit endeavors to avert.
What the States Are Arguing Right Now?
At the heart of the suit, it is maintained that the US Department of Agriculture has a sort of war chest for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), approximately $6 billion, yet it is not resorting to it. The states contend that in a situation of an incident such as a governmental shutdown, those monies ought to be freed.
The USDA, however, maintains that the stockpile should be kept for upcoming natural disasters. But the states that are suing consider the present condition as a disaster that is taking place in fact, in which the families are suffering. How exactly? Well, according to them, the authorities have a legal duty to use any funds that are at hand to continue the program.
The situation is comparable to if someone had a fund for home repairs, and yet, they chose not to fix a leaking roof because there might be a storm in the future. The states, thus, are refusing to accept such a rationale whatsoever.
States Involved and What’s at Risk
These lawsuits involve states such as California, New York, Oregon, North Carolina, and several more. Just so you know, though, by far, the majority of them are headed by Democratic governors or attorneys general, and they are intervening to safeguard the households that rely on SNAP on a monthly basis.
We can look at California to understand the situation better. Just to give a good idea of it all, in the state, more than 5.5 million people are recipients of SNAP. What is the value of the benefits that are in danger just for November? Approximately $1.1 billion. It is not only a question of figures; it is the absence of food in millions of households.
There are states that are taking action, while others are still sitting on their hands. Sure, for now, we know that California has responded with $80 million in rescue funds to bridge the shortage and, in fact, has brought in the National Guard to facilitate food distribution.
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