Republican and Democratic lawmakers remain at a stalemate on finding a government funding solution to end what is now the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history.
The Senate on Thursday adjourned until Monday afternoon, which will mark the 34th day of the government shutdown.
Meanwhile, a federal judge has laid out a path for the administration to fund SNAP benefits, which ran out on Saturday, saying the administration could tap more than $5 billion in emergency funds, as well as a much larger pot of tariff revenue collected by the Agriculture Department to fund the program.
A federal judge in Rhode Island clarified the next steps for the Trump administration to continue funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, after officials raised concerns that using emergency funds to pay for the program would be “exceedingly difficult, highly disruptive, and delayed.”
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ordered the Trump administration to make full food benefit payments by Monday or partial payments by Wednesday to “alleviate the irreparable harm” that would be caused delaying SNAP benefits.
“There is no question that the congressionally approved contingency funds must be used now because of the shutdown; in fact, the President during his first term issued guidance indicating that these contingency funds are available if SNAP funds lapse due to a government shutdown,” McConnell wrote.
The decision comes after the same judge issued a bench ruling ordering the administration to begin distributing emergency funds “as soon as possible for the November 1 payments to be made.”
ABC has reached out to the White House for comment.
The Trump administration could tap more than $5 billion in emergency funds, McConnell wrote, as well as a much larger pot of tariff revenue collected by the Agriculture Department to fund the program.
In court filings, the Trump administration stated that it was “expeditiously attempting to comply” with the judge’s order but requested further clarification on how to implement it. The president said on Friday that he has instructed government lawyers to find a legal path to restore SNAP funding, but acknowledged that benefits will still be delayed.
“I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible,” Trump posted on social media. “If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding.”
McConnell thanked the president for his “definitive response” to the order.
McConnell ordered the administration to advise the court about its plans to fund SNAP by noon Monday. Another federal judge in Boston similarly set a noon deadline for the administration to confirm its plans to fund SNAP.
President Donald Trump again on Saturday again called for Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster, warning them not to “be WEAK AND STUPID” in a post on his social media platform.
“FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! WIN, WIN, WIN! We will immediately END the Extortionist Shutdown, get ALL of our agenda passed, and make life so good for Americans that these DERANGED DEMOCRAT politicians will never again have the chance to DESTROY AMERICA!” Trump added. “Republicans, you will rue the day that you didn’t TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER!!!”
Terminating the filibuster would allow Republicans to pass a bill to fund the government without any support from Democrats.
Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said earlier in the shutdown that eliminating the filibuster is something that should be avoided “at all costs.”
President Trump on Friday was asked about SNAP benefits, set to run out of funds on Saturday, and whether there is a possibility for the administration to move around money as it did to pay the troops in order to keep benefits flowing to millions of Americans.
“Well, there always is,” Trump started to reply before immediately pointing the blame on Democrats.
“But all the Democrats have to do is say, ‘Let’s go.’ I mean, you know, they don’t have to do anything. All they have to do is say ‘The government is open,’ and we only need five Democrats. But they’re, you know, they’ve become a radical-left party,” Trump said.
He added Democrats have “lost their minds.”
A federal judge in Rhode Island is temporarily ordering the Trump administration to continue funding SNAP benefits.
“The court is orally at this time, ordering that USDA must distribute the contingency money timely, or as soon as possible, for the November 1 payments to be made,” said U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr.
After an hourlong emergency hearing, the judge ruled that the suspension of SNAP funding is arbitrary and likely to cause irreparable harm, citing the “terror” felt by Americans who are scrambling to meet their basic nutritional needs.
“There is no doubt, and it is beyond argument that irreparable harm will begin to occur if it hasn’t already occurred in the terror, it has caused some people about the availability of funding for food for their family,” he said.
