US Supreme Court backs Trump's decision amid govt shutdown, keeps full SNAP payments on hold for now

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday (Nov 11) extended a pause on requiring the administration of US President Donald Trump to pay food benefits during the federal shutdown, amid signs that Congress was moving forward with reopening the government. A lower court last week ruled that Trump's government must fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for November by the end of Friday. This comes after the White House earlier said that it will send only half the usual SNAP food stamp payments to 42 million Americans this month, citing a $4.65 billion shortfall as the government shutdown enters day 36. Democrats slammed the move, calling it “unacceptable.”

In its judgement, US SC Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a so-called administrative stay to pause the ruling and give the court system additional time to consider the administration's request to withhold funding. The unsigned order extends the stay through Thursday night, allowing the Trump administration to avoid using contingency funds to make a multi-billion-dollar payment to states so they could distribute food stamps to around 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP to afford groceries, AFP reported.

Government shutdown to end

Meanwhile on Nov 10, the US Senate approved a funding package that is expected to end the longest government shutdown in American history. The procedural vote passed in a 60-40 tally after several Democrats joined Republicans. The bill now needs to be approved in the House, a vote for which can happen as early as Wednesday, before it is signed by US President Donald Trump. The shutdown, which is on its 41st day, has resulted in about 1.4 million federal workers, including air traffic controllers, national park wardens, remaining on enforced leave or working without pay. “We’ll be opening up our country very quickly,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding: “The deal is very good.”