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Administration Asks Supreme Court to Block Full November SNAP Payments

2025-11-10

The BareStory

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to block a federal judge's order mandating the full payment of November benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The order, which impacts an estimated 42 million Americans, is currently paused by a temporary stay from Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who has set deadlines for legal briefs from both sides.

The dispute began after an October 24 announcement that full November SNAP benefits would not be paid during a government shutdown that started on October 1. Following a lawsuit filed by plaintiffs that reportedly included nonprofits and local governments, a federal judge in Rhode Island, Jack McConnell, ordered the administration to make the full payments. The administration’s appeal to pause this order was denied by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Judge McConnell’s order directed the government to use a $4.6 billion contingency fund and "Section 32 funds" to cover the estimated $8 billion monthly cost of the program. The administration had previously told a court it planned to pay only 65% of benefits using the contingency fund and had ruled out using other funds, according to one summary.

In a separate ruling on Monday, a Massachusetts federal judge blocked a U.S. Department of Agriculture memo that, according to the summary, threatened states with financial penalties if they issued full SNAP payments. Concurrently, the Senate has reportedly passed the first step of a bipartisan deal that could potentially reopen the government and fund SNAP through next September.

Left Perspective

  • Seeks to block a court order mandating full payments
  • Planned to issue partial benefits during the shutdown
  • Opposes using alternative funds for the program

Right Perspective

  • Secured a federal court order to compel full payments
  • Identified specific funds to cover the program's full cost
  • Received favorable rulings in multiple federal courts

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• An estimated 42 million Americans on SNAP may see their November food benefits reduced to 65% or paid in full, pending a Supreme Court decision.

• Grocery stores and other food retailers could experience a short-term drop in sales if the estimated $8 billion in monthly SNAP benefits are significantly reduced.

• The final outcome is uncertain, as full funding could be restored by either a court order or a separate bipartisan deal reportedly passed in the Senate.

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