Justice Department withdraws SNAP appeal from Supreme Court as funding resumes
Lawyers for the Trump administration on Thursday withdrew an emergency Supreme Court appeal centered on whether it must fully fund the nation's largest anti-hunger program during the government shutdown —...
By Fox News · Fox News
Lawyers for the Trump administration on Thursday withdrew an emergency Supreme Court appeal centered on whether it must fully fund the nation's largest anti-hunger program during the government shutdown — ending a roughly three-week court fight over a benefits program that impacted millions of Americans. The Justice Department said in withdrawing its emergency request that it considers the issue mooted after Congress passed a bill to reopen the government, ending a 43-day government shutdown that is now the longest in U.S. history. Trump signed off on the bill shortly after the House lawmakers voted 222-209 to approve it. "That law, among other things, fully funds SNAP through the end of the fiscal year," DOJ lawyers said. "Because the underlying dispute here is now moot, the government withdraws its November 7 stay application in this Court." TRUMP, STATES BACK IN COURT OVER SNAP AS BENEFITS REMAIN IN LEGAL LIMBO The bill Trump signed Wednesday night reverses widespread federal layoffs and will allow furloughed employees to receive paychecks and backpay for the first time in roughly six weeks. It will also relieve travel for millions of U.S. travelers whose flights were canceled or severely delayed as a result of the reduced workforce. Crucially, it also restores full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which lapsed on Nov. 1 for the first time in the program's 60-year history. Roughly 42 million Americans receive SNAP benefits, prompting more than two dozen states to sue the U.S. Department of Agriculture late last month to keep the program fully funded. Lower courts had ordered USDA to tap various contingency funds to fully fund SNAP benefits while the shutdown dragged on, prompting the Trump administration to appeal the matter to the Supreme Court for emergency intervention. STATES SUE TRUMP ADMIN OVER BILLIONS IN LOOMING CUTS TO SNAP, FOOD STAMPS U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer had urged justices to stay the lower co…