Jeffries Applauds Food Stamp Rulings, Says Trump Is “Weaponizing Hunger”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised recent court rulings that ordered the Trump administration to release emergency funds to partially cover SNAP (food stamp) benefits for November. Speaking with CNN, Jeffries warned that millions of Americans could still face food insecurity if the administration does not act swiftly — and accused Trump of politicizing hunger.

“We’re thankful for these rulings. The law is very clear. Funds do exist within the administration for exactly this reason,” Jeffries said.
“Republicans and the Trump administration should not be weaponizing hunger.”

The rulings, handed down by federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, rejected the Trump administration’s claim that it lacked legal authority to disburse funds amid the government shutdown. Courts confirmed that $5–6 billion in contingency funding is available and should be used to continue SNAP benefits — which support 42 million Americans.
(Read more about the court rulings)

Contingency Money Is a Temporary Fix

Jeffries acknowledged that the emergency funding is only a short-term solution. When asked about what happens if the funds run out, he reiterated Democrats’ calls for a bipartisan agreement to end the shutdown and pass a full budget — one that includes extensions for Affordable Care Act tax credits.

“Trump is unwilling to actually be there for everyday Americans, working class Americans and middle class Americans who, by the way, are of every political persuasion,” he said.

Republicans, meanwhile, have blamed Democrats for prolonging the shutdown over disagreements tied to ACA subsidies and border funding.

Jeffries, Johnson Forgo Pay During Shutdown

With hundreds of thousands of federal workers continuing to work without pay, Jeffries said he will withhold his own paycheck starting tomorrow in solidarity.

“If federal workers aren’t being paid, we shouldn’t be either,” he stated.

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office told CNN that he too will decline his paycheck, though the broader GOP leadership has yet to take a unified stance on lawmaker compensation.

NYC Mayoral Race: Jeffries Votes Early

On a separate note, Jeffries confirmed that he voted early in the New York City mayoral race, casting his ballot for Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani — a progressive state assemblyman from Queens.

Jeffries has previously endorsed Mamdani, who is running a campaign sharply critical of Trump’s economic and social policies. The race, while local, may offer an early glimpse at how voters in urban centers are responding to Trump’s return to presidential politics.

For full coverage of the shutdown and SNAP developments, visit governmentshutdown.net

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