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A federal appeals court delivered a blow to the Trump administration on Sunday night by denying its request to postpone an order mandating full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments during the government shutdown.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, comprised of a three-judge panel, determined that the lower court judge acted within his discretion when ruling that the administration’s proposal for partial food stamp payments could lead to unacceptable delays.
Judge Julie Rikelman, writing for the unanimous panel, noted, “The administration was fully aware that implementing partial payments would be technically challenging, as it had never been attempted before.”
Rikelman further criticized the administration, stating, “Despite this awareness, the government failed to take any action over the subsequent three weeks. It did not perform calculations, prepare tables, or take any logistical steps to address the impending shortfall.”