Additional pain from the federal government shutdown was averted late last week on the eve of a food aid cutoff for nearly 42 million elderly, disabled and low-income people. A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to continue paying for food stamps under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. It was about to run out of funds Nov. 1 because of a budget impasse between congressional Democrats and Republicans. Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island said the administration had acted unlawfully by refusing to use a $5 billion emergency reserve for the critical anti-hunger program.

Children make up about 16 million of those benefitting from SNAP. Another 8.5 million recipients are elderly and about 4 million are adults with disabilities. SNAP, which began in 1974, has become America's largest anti-hunger initiative and became the defining issue of the nearly five-week shutdown.

The White House told the Department of Agriculture, which runs the program, not to use its congressionally approved reserve money. The apparent reason was to pressure congressional Democrats who say they won't agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Democrats want to continue a tax credit for government health insurance premiums to keep policy costs from soaring this year. Republicans say Democrats must first agree to reopen the government before negotiation. It would have beens the first time emergency funds weren't released to continue this type of aid during a shutdown.

Some governors recently began using state money for temporary aid to food banks. Rhode Island and New York declared emergencies due to the expected cutoff, and Rhode Island's governor reallocated up to $6 million to a Community Food Bank. "President Trump's failure to act is cruel and unacceptable," said Democratic Gov. Dan McKee before Friday's court decision in his state. "Rhode Island will not stand by and allow families to go hungry."

Judge says: "SNAP benefits have never, until now, been terminated. And the United States has in fact admitted that the contingency funds are appropriately used during a shutdown and that occurred in 2019." -- John McConnell, U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I.

Republican says: "Nobody in America, this richest of nations, should go to bed hungry, and certainly no child. We have a proud tradition of helping those in need." – U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri

Blogger says: "By refusing to maintain food aid, Republicans are hurting many of their own supporters. . . . Spending money to help families with children is an extremely high-return investment in the nation's future." – Paul Krugman, past New York Times economics columnist, at Substack