Trump fights in court to block pandemic food aid for lowest-income Americans
The law needs USDA to grant state demands to distribute emergency situation allocations of SNAP as long as both the federal government and the state are under an emergency statement due to Covid-19. Rather of providing all SNAP families emergency situation payments, USDA decided to bring all households up to the optimal payment levels. The USDA did enable states to increase support for millions of families whose earnings were high enough that they weren’t currently receiving the maximum payment.
The law requires USDA to approve state requests to disperse emergency situation allocations of SNAP as long as both the federal government and the state are under an emergency declaration due to Covid-19. Instead of offering all SNAP households emergency payments, USDA decided to bring all homes up to the maximum payment levels. The USDA did permit states to increase assistance for millions of families whose earnings were high enough that they weren’t currently getting the maximum payment. USDA has consistently asked the court to set aside the injunction. Lawyers for USDA last week appealed to the Third Circuit and cautioned that if they are able to abandon the earlier injunction, the department will make the Keystone State pay the aid back.
