Attorney General Dan Rayfield today issued the following statement after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump Administration to fully fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by Friday, November 7. The Trump Administration has since appealed that ruling.

“There is no excuse for shortchanging families who are already struggling,” said Attorney General Dan Rayfield. “The Court’s ruling confirms that the federal government must fully fund SNAP, and that it has both the authority and the resources to do so. Families deserve the full benefits they depend on each month, and we’re moving forward to make sure they get them.”

About one in six Oregonians rely on SNAP benefits to buy groceries and feed their families – including more than 214,000 children and 130,000 older adults.

This ruling comes after an unlawful attempt by the Trump Administration to only partially fund the SNAP program in a way that created chaos and further delays for states. Attorney General Rayfield joined a separate lawsuit against the Trump Administration for suspending SNAP benefits in a manner that is both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act.