LANSING, Much. (WZMQ)- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says a federal court ruling will help protect food assistance for millions of Americans, including more than a million Michigan residents, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was ordered to release emergency funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts ruled that the USDA must use $5.25 billion in contingency funds to continue SNAP payments after a coalition of 23 attorneys general and three governors sued the department.
According to the USDA, that amount still won’t be enough to cover all November benefits nationwide. The judge has now ordered the agency to report by Monday whether it will transfer additional Section 32 funding to ensure full benefits are available.
“Providing food assistance to residents in need is not just a moral issue, it’s also a legal one,” Nessel said in a statement. “I am grateful that the Court has agreed that the USDA is obligated to spend available funding to support food assistance and prevent Americans from going hungry.”
The ruling comes after the USDA warned states that SNAP benefits would be paused starting November 1, leaving 42 million Americans without food support. In Michigan, 1.4 million people rely on SNAP, including nearly half a million children and more than 38,000 veterans.
“The USDA pause on SNAP funding followed rising inflation, higher grocery bills, and soon an increase in healthcare premiums,” Nessel said. “It’s also following record cuts to our food banks, who work day and night to ensure no one in our communities goes hungry.”
WZMQ 19 News will continue to follow this developing story as the USDA responds to the court’s order.
