A Massachusetts federal court today found that Attorney General Charity Clark and the coalition of 22 other attorneys general and three governors were "likely to succeed" on their claims against the Trump Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeking to restore Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding. Attorney General Clark and the coalition brought a lawsuit earlier this week and filed a request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) challenging the Trump Administration's unlawful suspension of SNAP, which helps more than 40 million Americans buy food, during to the ongoing federal government shutdown. The court has ordered the Trump Administration to advise the court by Monday whether it will authorize reduced SNAP benefits using the contingency funds available or authorize full SNAP benefits using both the contingency fund and other available funds. The criterion for a TRO hinges, in part, on a likelihood of success on the merits - a criterion already found by the Court.

Attorney General Clark released the following statement today in reaction to the court order:

"The judge's finding that we are likely to succeed in our case is significant and essentially gives the Trump Administration no choice but to report by Monday how it will fund SNAP benefits with the contingency fund. While this case isn't over, today is a good day in our fight. I will continue the fight for Vermont, and I look forward to updating with more good news on Monday when the Trump Administration tells the court what it intends to do. I also want to thank the Vermont Emergency Board and the Governor for working together to provide stopgap State funding in the event of a lapse in federal funding."

A copy of the court order is available on our website.

In a separate case brought by private plaintiffs and nonprofits in Rhode Island federal court, a federal judge ordered that the Trump Administration "must distribute" aid using the contingency fund and potentially other sources and pay the benefits as soon as possible.

Said Attorney General Clark, "Two federal courts today told the Trump Administration what they are doing with SNAP benefits is wrong. I couldn't agree more and we will keep fighting."

For more information on actions taken by the Attorney General on behalf of Vermonters, visit our website at https://ago.vermont.gov/ago-actions .

For Vermonters struggling to put food on the table, there is help available across the state. Find a food shelf in your area at https://www.vtfoodbank.org/access-food/find-a-food-shelf/.

CONTACT: Amelia Vath, Senior Advisor to the Attorney General, 802-828-3171