In a major setback for the Trump administration, two federal judges have stopped the suspension of key food aid benefits for millions of Americans. The rulings, issued just minutes apart, block the government from pausing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments during the ongoing shutdown. The judges at the center of this nationwide relief are John McConnell in Rhode Island and Indira Talwani in Massachusetts.
Who is Judge John McConnell?
Judge John McConnell is the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island. Born in Providence in 1958, his legal career is deeply rooted in the state. He was nominated to the federal bench by former President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2011. Before becoming a judge, McConnell built a long career in private practice in Providence after graduating from Brown University and Case Western Reserve University School of Law. In his ruling on the SNAP benefits, he emphasized the human impact, stating, “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.”
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Who is Judge Indira Talwani?
Serving on the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts is Judge Indira Talwani. Like her colleague in Rhode Island, she was also appointed by President Barack Obama, receiving her commission in 2014.Judge Talwani has a stellar intellectual background, having attended Radcliffe College and Harvard before graduating from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. She is the daughter of Manik Talwani, a renowned geophysicist originally from Punjab, India. Her ruling alongside Judge McConnell reinforced the legal barrier against the suspension of food aid.
What Was the Government’s Argument for Suspending Benefits?
The legal conflict arose from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement that it would suspend SNAP benefits starting November 1. The Trump administration cited insufficient funds due to the government shutdown that began on October 1. The USDA argued that it lacked the authority to pay the full benefits—which cost between $8.5 billion and $9 billion per month and support 42 million low-income Americans—without a spending bill passed by Congress. This position threatened an unprecedented halt to the program, commonly known as food stamps.
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What Was the Plaintiffs’ Counter-Argument?
The lawsuits behind the judges’ rulings disputed the USDA’s claim of lacking funds. Plaintiffs argued the department was overlooking other available resources, including a $5.25 billion contingency fund approved by Congress for essential operations. They also cited another fund of about $23 billion that could be used to keep SNAP running and avoid cutting off food aid.
