Obama Judge Drops Bombshell On Trump Admin Over Shutdown

A pair of Obama-appointed federal judges moved Friday to force the current Trump administration to tap limited contingency funds to issue November food stamp payments — a decision that temporarily softens one of the most visible impacts of the Schumer Shutdown, even as Democrats continue blocking a clean bill to reopen the government.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island and U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts both ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture must use a congressionally created contingency reserve to distribute at least some Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in November, according to The Washington Times.

McConnell argued that Congress specifically allocated billions to cover emergencies. Talwani wrote that, “Defendants erred in concluding that USDA is statutorily prohibited from using the contingency reserve to fund SNAP benefits during the pendency of the lapse in appropriations.”

The rulings come at the one-month mark of the Schumer Shutdown, which has left federal agencies without full funding due to ongoing Democratic obstruction in the Senate.

Roughly 42 million Americans currently rely on SNAP, a program administered by USDA. Many government operations have halted as Democrats continue to hold up a straightforward funding package passed by the Republican-led House. Federal employees still working essential roles have gone unpaid since September.

Democrats, meanwhile, have attempted to spin the crisis as a White House policy choice rather than the direct result of their refusal to pass the House’s clean continuing resolution.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries claimed the rulings prove that the administration is “weaponizing hunger.” He told CNN, “We’re thankful for these rulings. Funds do exist within the administration for exactly this reason — a contingency fund to make sure that no one in America … ever goes hungry.”

But Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins countered that the claims are deeply misleading, emphasizing that while a contingency fund exists, it cannot be used unless Congress authorizes the underlying SNAP appropriations — something Senate Democrats have repeatedly blocked.

“It’s called a contingency fund, and by law, [the] contingency fund can only flow when the underlying fund is flowing,” Rollins said Friday.

The reserve currently contains roughly $5 billion — not enough to fully cover November’s $9+ billion in expected benefits. Even with judicial intervention, states may not be able to restart payments immediately, potentially causing delays for millions of households.

Talwani’s ruling asserted that SNAP is a mandatory benefit and allows reduced-rate payments or transfers from other USDA accounts. McConnell, ruling from the bench, said, “It’s clear that when compared to the millions of people that will go without funds for food versus the agency’s desire not to use contingency funds in case there’s a hurricane need, the balances of those equities clearly goes on the side of ensuring that people are fed,” according to NBC News.

Despite the courts’ orders, the core issue remains unchanged: the government is closed because Senate Democrats have blocked the House-passed funding resolution fourteen times, insisting instead on adding unrelated policy demands involving expanded Obamacare subsidies and benefits for illegal immigrants.

The administration said it is reviewing the rulings and working with states, while reiterating that only Congress — not the courts — can fully restore funding.