RI Nonprofits and National Council of Nonprofits Win Lawsuit to Temporarily Protect Food Assistance
NCN and Partners Win Lawsuit to Temporarily Protect Food Assistance
The National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) filed a lawsuit last Thursday, together with its state association United Way of Rhode Island, a broad coalition of plaintiffs and attorneys at Democracy Forward and the Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island, to protect access to critical food assistance during the federal government shutdown. In an emergency hearing on Oct. 31, the federal court in Rhode Island issued a temporary restraining order (TRO), providing urgent, immediate relief to millions of Americans who were at risk of losing access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. NCN applauded the court for its quick action to provide emergency relief.
Without action, federal funding for SNAP would have run out on Nov. 1, as the Administration has refused to use a contingency fund to continue food assistance during the shutdown. This action would have left 42 million low-income Americans, including children, seniors, and veterans, without access to healthy, nutritious food. While local nonprofit food banks and pantries are already stepping up to fill the gaps in their communities, many do not have the resources or capacity to serve everyone in need.
While the TRO is in place, the Administration is required to use contingency funds to ensure families and individuals are not cut off from the assistance they need to put food on their tables. Over the weekend, the Administration announced that it will not appeal the legal decision, and today, it reported to the court that it will use the contingency fund to proceed with partial payments for November SNAP benefits. In response, NCN issued a statement calling the Administration to ensure full SNAP benefits. Read NCN’s press statement for more information about the litigation.
Earlier in the week, 25 states and the District of Columbia also sued to keep the program funded.