Attorney General Bonta: President Trump Only Providing Partial SNAP Benefits to Families in Need, Despite Full Funding Potential

OAKLAND -California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement in response to the news that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will only be providing partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for the month of November. This morning, in a new legal filing, the Trump Administration wrote the following: "Per orders issued by the United States District Courts for the Districts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, [the Trump Administration] intends to deplete SNAP contingency funds completely and provide reduced SNAP benefits for November 2025." Last week, Attorney General Bonta co-led a coalition of 23 attorneys general and three governors in filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against the USDA and its Secretary, Brooke Rollins, over the unlawful suspension of November SNAP benefits.

"My fellow attorneys general and I took the Trump Administration to court because they chose to suspend November SNAP benefits. That decision was not only unlawful, as two federal courts ruled on Friday; it has also forced the 42 million individuals who rely on SNAP to scramble and figure out where their next meal is going to come from. Americans of all political persuasions have rightfully been outraged," said Attorney General Bonta. "This morning, we learned that the Trump Administration has decided, at long last and in the face of growing public pressure, to partially fund November SNAP benefits. This is an important development, but the reality is that SNAP benefits won't become immediately available to recipients. This lag is problematic and the result of President Trump's failure to follow the law until ordered to do so. In addition, today's announcement by the Trump Administration represents a moral failure. We are the richest country in the world, and the federal government could fully fund November SNAP benefits if it wanted to. Recent images and videos of long lines at food pantries nationwide highlight the gravity of the current situation - we must continue to care for those in greatest need. My office remains focused on holding the Trump Administration accountable for its illegal actions."

A copy of this morning's filing by the Trump Administration can be found here.