AG Kaul sues Trump administration over suspension of FoodShare program

MADISON, Wis. (CIVIC MEDIA) – A lawsuit that attempts to compel the Trump administration to provide emergency funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been filed by a multi-state coalition that includes Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul.

The ongoing federal government shutdown has caused funding to cease for SNAP, known in Wisconsin as FoodShare. According to a Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) news release, 689,000 Wisconsinites are at risk of losing their FoodShare benefits at the beginning of November.

The lawsuit argues that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is refusing to use emergency funds that Congress has made available as a contingency for circumstances such as these. The coalition seeks a court order that requires the USDA to use the emergency funds to maintain SNAP, preventing a lapse in payments.

“Millions of Americans, including children, seniors, and veterans, are on the verge of losing access to the food assistance they rely upon,” said Kaul in a statement. “No one should have to go hungry because of dysfunction in our federal government.”

Furthermore, the lawsuit asserts that the suspension of SNAP payments during a federal government shutdown is both against the law and in defiance of the Administrative Procedure Act. The coalition is also filing for a temporary restraining order that asks the court to turn SNAP payments back on.

Additional information on how FoodShare will be impacted by the federal government shutdown can be found at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.