SNAP Benefits May Resume by Wednesday Amid Court Orders

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Sunday that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits could resume as early as Wednesday. This follows rulings by federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island on Friday, directing the Trump administration to utilize emergency funds to continue SNAP payments during the ongoing government shutdown.

Judge Jack McConnell of Rhode Island ordered that these benefits be paid from emergency funds "as soon as possible," while Boston Judge Indira Talwani gave the administration until Monday to confirm whether it will authorize at least partial SNAP benefits for November. The administration had initially planned to halt the aid on November 1.

In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Bessent stated that the administration would not appeal the court rulings and acknowledged that securing the funds to pay SNAP benefits by Wednesday "could be" feasible. He noted, "There's a process that has to be followed. So, we've got to figure out what the process is."

On Friday, President Donald Trump indicated in a Truth Social post that the government was exploring options to restart SNAP. He wrote, "I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT. Therefore, I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible."