LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Michigan Legal professional Basic Dana Nessel has despatched a letter to the US Division of Agriculture (USDA), in search of clarification and extra info on the way forward for funding for the Supplemental Diet Help Program (SNAP) amid the continued authorities shutdown.
SNAP is the biggest meals help program within the nation, serving to low-income people. Almost 13% of Michigan households, or 1.4 million individuals, depend on SNAP advantages.
Nessel, together with 22 different attorneys common, despatched the letter to the USDA’s Performing Affiliate Administrator of SNAP.
Michigan instructed by USDA to halt SNAP advantages
In a information launch despatched to six Information, the Michigan Division of Legal professional Basic reviews that the USDA issued a letter to all state companies and company administrators who administer the SNAP program on October 10, instructing them to pause the distribution of SNAP advantages for November.
In that letter, the USDA indicated that “if the present lapse in appropriations continues, there will likely be inadequate funds to pay full November SNAP advantages for about 42 million people throughout the Nation.”
It additionally advised “States to carry their November issuance information and delay transmission to State EBT distributors till additional discover,” together with “on-going SNAP benefits and daily files.”
The division reviews that the USDA “appears to have several billion dollars in SNAP contingency reserve funds that Congress appropriated for emergencies.”
The attorneys common urge the federal authorities to make use of these appropriated funds to proceed offering SNAP advantages quite than directing states to droop this system. Moreover, they are saying that Part 32 funds is also used to produce advantages in the course of the ongoing shutdown.
“The Trump Administration ought to use all obtainable funds to make sure SNAP advantages should not paused and be upfront about how they plan to maneuver ahead so People proceed receiving the assist they want throughout this time of uncertainty,” stated Nessel in a information launch despatched to six Information.
The division reviews that the letter despatched by the attorneys common asks the USDA to reply the next questions by the top of the day on October 27:
Does USDA/FNS have contingency funds left over from prior Congressional appropriations? If that’s the case, what’s the complete of these contingency funds?
Does USDA/FNS have entry to every other sources of obtainable funds to pay advantages and administrative prices related to issuing these advantages?
Does USDA/FNS intend to make use of such funds to furnish SNAP advantages, even at a diminished degree? If not, why not? And in that case, how does the company intend to execute that plan, and when would States be anticipated to ship their profit issuance information?
Assuming USDA/FNS has contingency funds, on what grounds did the company direct States to “hold” November information, quite than decreasing allotments according to obtainable funds?
Ought to States deal with the October 10 letter as a “suspension” of advantages or a “cancellation” of advantages beneath 7 C.F.R. § 271.7, or neither?
SNAP recipients are inspired to contact their native MDHHS workplace with any questions concerning their advantages or examine on-line for updates.
Nessel was joined by attorneys common from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia in submitting the letter.
2025-10-24 AG Letter to USDA re SNAP Advantages LapseDownload
