Connecticut joins the other states, as well as three Democratic governors from Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Kentucky – which have Republican attorneys general – in arguing the Trump administration is in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act.The Trump administration is “willfully and intentionally making people in Connecticut and across this country go hungry on purpose” by not funding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is required under federal law, as the federal government shutdown continues, Tong said.
Connecticut joins the other states, as well as three Democratic governors from Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Kentucky – which have Republican attorneys general – in arguing the Trump administration is in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act.
The federal government shutdown began Oct. 1 as the Senate failed to pass a Republican-controlled House bill to extend government funding until Nov. 21. At the crux of the federal standoff is a push by Democrats to health-care subsidies provided under the Affordable Care Act that Republicans oppose.
The Trump administration is using SNAP food benefits as a bargaining chip to force Democrats to compromise, Tong said at a news conference at the attorney general’s office building on Tuesday.
Trump and Rollins are “weaponizing hunger to serve their political priorities,” Tong said. “They’re not just weaponizing hunger, they’re weaponzing health care, which is at the core of this shutdown battle. … It is wrong to starve people into submission, and that is what this president is doing.”
U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5th District, noted that SNAP benefits were not affected during previous government shutdowns.
“What is happening is a policy choice,” she said. “What we’re dealing with right now is an administration that lacks the will.”
Officials from the Trump administration announced that food benefits under the program will cease nationwide on Nov. 1, saying “the well has run dry” as a result of the federal government shutdown.
SNAP benefits help feed about 360,000 Connecticut residents, including 120,000 children.
The shutdown entered its 28th day on Tuesday, making it the second longest shutdown in American history. The longest was 35 days during Trump’s first term.
The Trump administration has ruled out the use of $5 billion in contingency funds to maintain SNAP benefits during the shutdown, which it blames on Democrats in Congress for failing to agree to reopen the government.
Tong called the administration’s decision not to use available contingency funds “arbitrary and capricious.”
Although no new SNAP benefits will be issued in November without federal action, state officials said Connecticut residents who have unused SNAP benefits from previous months on their electronic benefit transfer cards will still be able to access those carryover funds while they last.
However, Hayes said on Tuesday that she’s not convinced that those benefits will remain, citing mistrust in the Trump administration.
Connecticut is providing $3 million in emergency state funding to Connecticut Foodshare to temporarily continue to provide food to those in need after the nonprofit organization.
The $3 million contribution is a fraction of the $72 million a month required to fully fund SNAP in Connecticut.
Connecticut Foodshare CEO Jason Jakubowski said the infusion of taxpayer dollars will be enough to provide 6 million meals for two weeks through the network of more than 650 community-based food banks, meal programs and mobile food pantries that the nonprofit supplies.
When making the announcement on Monday, Gov. Ned Lamont said the state would “try this out for a couple of weeks and see what the need is going forward” with the hope that the federal shutdown is resolved by then.
Emily Byrne, executive director of Connecticut Voices for Children, said that relying solely on food banks is not sustainable, and said municipalities and local nonprofits need to provide support as well.
“We’re not going to food bank our way out of this,” she said.
State Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, said he’s already seeing food pantries in Hartford that are running out of food as those in need prepare for Nov. 1.
Also joining this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Anyone who needs food can find a local pantry by calling 211 or visiting the Connecticut Foodshare website, both of which maintain databases of places across the state that supply goods to those in need.
This story has been updated with the correct title for state Sen. Matt Lesser.
