Governor Janet Mills on Friday praised two federal court rulings that compel the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release emergency contingency funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as the government shutdown continues.
The rulings, issued by federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, prevent the USDA from withholding the funds and require the agency to maintain food benefits for millions of Americans. The decisions came after Maine joined a multistate lawsuit earlier this week seeking to force the USDA to act.
Mills commended the outcome and credited Attorney General Aaron Frey for Maine’s involvement. “I welcome and applaud these decisions by the Courts and thank Attorney General Aaron Frey for his efforts on behalf of our state,” she said in a statement, calling the USDA’s previous withholding of funds “a wrong and callous decision.” She urged the White House and USDA to comply immediately to ensure Mainers “don’t go hungry in November.”
The USDA had notified states on October 10 that SNAP benefits would not be distributed in November due to the ongoing shutdown and later claimed it could not legally use contingency funds to cover regular payments.
Each month, about $29 million in federal SNAP funding supports roughly 170,000 Mainers, nearly 12.5% of the state’s population, with the average family of four receiving $572. Counties such as Androscoggin, Aroostook, Washington, Piscataquis, and Somerset have some of the highest participation rates, nearing or exceeding 20%.
Earlier this week, Mills announced $1.25 million in state and philanthropic funds for Good Shepherd Food Bank, Maine’s Area Agencies on Aging, and other local food programs to help offset disruptions caused by the shutdown.
Mills and 20 other governors also signed a letter urging President Trump to direct the USDA to release the contingency funds, warning of the widespread harm that halting benefits could cause to families, seniors, and disabled residents nationwide.
