OH SNAP!

Judge Cites Coronavirus Pandemic in Blocking Trump’s Food Stamps Cuts

The decision suspended the implementation of a new rule that would have forced 700,000 Americans off of SNAP.

U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell issued an injunction Friday night that halted the Trump administration’s planned cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. If the new rules would have been implemented, more than 700,000 American citizens would have been pushed off of food stamps on April 1. Howell cited the coronavirus pandemic in her reasoning for keeping the Trump Administration’s  “arbitrary and capricious” plan from going into effect. “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,” Howell wrote.