(NewsNation) — Tens of millions of Americans who rely on federal food assistance are waiting on a midday deadline after the program went dark this weekend.
On Friday, a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to pay Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits “as soon as possible,” and a separate ruling from a federal judge in Boston found the decision to suspend those benefits was likely “unlawful.”
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island, gave the administration until noon on Monday to share how it plans to comply with his order to fully or partially fund SNAP. Similarly, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston ordered the federal government to explain its plan by Monday.
Now, the Trump administration has just a few hours to reveal how they will make it happen.
President Donald Trump said the administration is looking to comply, writing on social media Friday that he had “instructed our lawyers to ask the court to clarify how we can legally fund snap as soon as possible.”
“Our Government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain monies we have available, and now two Courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do,” Trump wrote.
But by Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was hesitant to say if the Department of Agriculture would be able to meet the deadlines.
“There’s a process that has to be followed. So, we got to figure out what the process is. President Trump wants to make sure that people get their food benefits,” Bessent told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”
“So, it could be done by Wednesday?” Tapper asked.
“Could be,” Bessent replied.
Mid-week is likely the earliest SNAP recipients can expect to see their benefits — if the USDA and the states can process them in time.
Nevertheless, the courts have made it clear: no more delays just because of the government shutdown, which could soon become the longest in U.S. history.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
