Did Donald Trump stop food stamps?

Get the Full StoryJanuary always seems to last forever, and this year, that hasn t been helped by what seems like the longest first few weeks of presidency ever. True to his word, Donald Trump has been making big changes since he stepped into office on Jan 20. From immigration to gender-affirming care, Trump hasn t left any stone unturned as he attacks the systems he believes are bringing the country down. And with Trump s recent executive orders concerning the SNAP program, many Americans are worried that food stamps might be the latest victim in Trump s new regime. Does Trump s new executive order stop food stamps? Several nonprofit organizations have sued the Trump administration over its move to halt federal aid. The lawsuit seeks a restraining order on the pause, which goes into effect today. https: t.co saMBfppa1K CNN CNN January 28, 2025 Since Trump stepped into office, not a day has passed without news coming out of another sector he has set his sights on. His latest victim? Federal grants and benefits, which includes SNAP benefits. Commonly known as food stamps, SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It s a government program that has been in existence since 1939 and has provided millions of low-income Americans with a means to access food and groceries. On Jan. 28, Trump signed an executive order freezing all federal government grants. As SNAP benefits are included in this, millions of Americans have been understandably distressed by what this could mean for them. And to make matters worse, SNAP benefits aren t the only thing that fall under federal grants. Important necessities like financial aid for students and other government loans might also be affected. CNN obtained a copy of an internal memorandum from the acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget OMB , Michael Vaeth, which detailed this order. It read that all federal agencies must, temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance. The memo also stated that each agency must complete a comprehensive analysis of all of their federal assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities that may be implicated by any of the president s executive orders, putting the burden on the individuals to find out if they will be safe from the order or not. With such a vague order, many were confused as to what sectors and grants were affected, how long the freeze would last, how the review process would be done, and how the citizens reliant on these grants would cope. In response to the confusion, the OMB released some additional information, stating that In addition to Social Security and Medicare, already explicitly excluded in the guidance, mandatory programs like Medicaid and SNAP will continue without pause. So, food stamps thankfully weren t affected, but that doesn t mean there weren t any repercussions. Are federal grants still frozen? This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze. It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo.Why? To end any confusion created by the court's injunction.The President's EO's on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented. Karoline Leavitt PressSec January 29, 2025 The order wasn t well received by many, particularly non-profit organizations, so, mere hours after it was issued, multiple non-profits filed suits against it. In the few hours that it was enforced on Tuesday, Medicaid agencies all around the country couldn t access their funds, and the Department of Health and Human Services saw delays and rejections in payments. Thankfully, the case was rushed to court and US District Judge Loren AliKhan was able to temporarily pause the order, at least until Feb 3. According to CNN, Judge AliKhan will be revisiting the case next week to determine a long-term solution to stop the order. Following Judge AliKhan s order, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, issued a statement rescinding the memo pausing the grants. She also added, The executive orders issued by the president on funding reviews remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented by all agencies and departments.

Share: