Senator Klobuchar “No Excuse” to Withhold SNAP Benefits After Court Ruling

Senator Amy Klobuchar, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued a sharp rebuke of the Trump administration following a federal court ruling that orders the release of emergency SNAP (food stamp) funds amid the government shutdown.

“The court’s decision confirms what we have said all week: The administration is choosing not to feed Americans in need, despite knowing that it is legally required to do so,” Klobuchar said in a press release.

“They should immediately act — as the court has required — to ensure food assistance continues to go to families in need.”

SNAP Ruling: Court Says Funding “Required”

A Massachusetts federal judge ruled this week that the USDA must use contingency funds to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to millions of Americans at risk of losing access to food assistance due to the ongoing shutdown.

Senator Klobuchar emphasized that the court’s wording was unequivocal:

“The court was clear: the administration is ‘required to use those Contingency Funds as necessary for the SNAP program.’”

She also called out the administration’s delay in issuing benefits, saying that if they continue to hold back:

“It is purely a cruel political decision, not a legal one.”

Background

The Trump administration previously claimed it lacked authority to disburse SNAP funds without an active congressional appropriation. However, back-to-back court rulings this week — one in Massachusetts and another in Rhode Island — found that contingency funds were legally available and must be used.

Senator Klobuchar’s comments add to growing political pressure from Democratic governors like Kathy Hochul of New York, who declared a state of emergency and allocated over $100 million in state resources to food banks and pantries.
(Read Governor Hochul’s statement)

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