Judge Blocks Trump Administration Rule Kicking People Off SNAP

A few months back, the Trump Administration moved to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits for more than 700,000 Americans, by adding a Work Requirement. The Rule Change was set to take effect April 1st.

Then, a Coalition of Democratic State Attorney General's came together and Sued Trump to Block his Plan and Protect Vulnerable Populations that rely on these Benefits.

Now a Federal Judge has sided with the Democratic Attorney General's, and Temporarily Blocked Trump from Slashing Food Stamp Benefits amid the Coronavirus Crisis.

Now is the time we should be Expanding Benefits, not Cutting People Off.

Washington, D.C., U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell, called the Rule Change Capricious, Arbitrary, and likely Unlawful.

In her ruling, Howell cited Concerns raised by the Spread of Coronavirus and its Effect on the most Vulnerable Americans. "Especially now, as a global pandemic poses widespread health risks, guaranteeing that government officials at both the federal and state levels have flexibility to address the nutritional needs of residents and ensure their well-being through programs like SNAP, is essential," she wrote.

"This is a major victory for our country's most vulnerable residents who rely on SNAP to eat," D.C. Attorney General, Karl A. Racine, who Co-led the Coalition behind the Lawsuit, said in a statement. "The Trump administration's rule would have forced hundreds of thousands of people who could not find work, including 13,000 District residents, to go hungry. That could have been catastrophic in the midst of our current public health emergency."

"At a time of national crisis, this decision is a win for common sense and basic human decency," New York Attorney General Letitia James, who Co-led the Coalition with Racine, said in a statement. Her Office noted that the Change would have Denied SNAP Benefits to more than 50,000 People in New York City alone. "As we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic," James said, "the effects of this rule would be more destructive than ever."










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