DELAWARE- Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings has joined 22 attorneys general and three governors in suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the suspension of SNAP benefits during the federal government shutdown.
Jennings said the suspension threatens thousands of Delaware families who depend on SNAP for their daily meals, increasing the risk of hunger and food insecurity across the state.
“Let me put this simply: if SNAP benefits do not go out next month, our state’s food banks will be overwhelmed, and thousands of Delawareans will go hungry,” Jennings said.
Governor Matt Meyer echoed her concern, saying, “With 60,000 Delaware households set to lose SNAP benefits on November 1, I stand with Attorney General Jennings and my fellow governors in urging the court to restore SNAP funding immediately and protect access to food for every family that needs it.”
This comes as state lawmakers from both parties sent letters to Governor Meyer requesting immediate action to protect the benefits in November.
The lawsuit argues that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is violating federal law by refusing to use existing contingency funds that Congress has already appropriated to maintain benefits during shutdowns. Despite citing a lack of funds, the agency has continued funding other programs with emergency money, according to the lawsuit.
Jennings and other state leaders say the decision is an “illegal and inhumane choice” that could leave millions of Americans without food assistance. Jennings says roughly one in nine Delawareans depend on SNAP benefits, including about 60,000 families and 45,000 children.
The coalition is also seeking a temporary restraining order to immediately reinstate benefits while the case moves forward.
Joining Jennings in the lawsuit are attorneys general from Maryland, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. The governors of Kansas, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania have also joined the effort.