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(FOX40.COM) — Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Tuesday that more than 20 states, including California, are suing the Trump administration over the looming suspension of SNAP benefits next month.
The lawsuit claims that the government shutdown, which has reached day 28, has had not impacted the funds meant to support SNAP, arguing that the United States Department of Agriculture is unnecessarily suspending November SNAP benefits under the direction of President Trump.
Video Above: Food banks and groceries brace for SNAP pause
“While Donald Trump parades around the world trying to repair the economic damage he’s done with his incompetence, he’s denying food to millions of Americans who will go hungry next month,” Gov. Newsom said. “It’s cruel and speaks to his basic lack of humanity. He doesn’t care about the people of this country, only himself.”
The claims state that the suspension is causing 5.5 million Californians to lose access to $1.1 billion in food assistance.
Attorney General Rob Bonta released the following statement:
“Let’s be clear about what’s happening: For the first time ever, SNAP benefits will not be available to the millions of low-income individuals who depend on them to put food on the table. November SNAP benefits can and must be provided, even with the government shutdown. USDA not only has authority to use contingency funds, it has a legal duty to spend all available dollars to fund SNAP benefits. The Trump Administration, however, has chosen instead to play politics with this essential safety net that so many people depend on — including 5.5 million individuals in California alone. With the holidays around the corner, we are seeing costs for groceries continue to increase and food banks facing unprecedented demand. We are taking a stand because families will experience hunger and malnutrition if the Trump Administration gets its way.”
The office of Gov. Newsom said that the government is legally required to make payments to SNAP as Congress appropriated $6 billion to the USDA in SNAP-related contingency funds through September 2026. The contingency funds were established in an effort to continue funding SNAP benefits in instances like the current government shutdown.
The USDA has provided monetary aid for farmers and is temporarily funding WIC benefits during the shutdown, officials said. Meanwhile, Gov. Newsom claimed that President Trump is “simply choosing not to use this authority” in order to provide SNAP benefits for Americans.
“When families don’t know where their next meal will come from, our government has failed its most basic duty to care for its people. The Trump administration’s decision to withhold food assistance that’s already been funded has left millions of Americans in fear and uncertainty. As a state, we know we must stand up and fight back,” First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. “We are taking action for our families, for our children, and for the 5.5 million Californians who deserve the simple dignity of knowing there will be food on the table.”
Gov. Newsom announced on Oct. 22 that he will be deploying the California National Guard and state volunteers on a humanitarian mission to help food banks, while also fast-tracking upwards of $80 million in state support.
President Trump has not released a statement in regard to the lawsuit.
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Natalie Sierra
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