'Absurd': JD Vance blasts activist Obama judge's apparent overreach on SNAP handouts amid Democrat shutdown
Vice President JD Vance blasted the apparent overreach by a meddlesome Obama-appointed judge who ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to make full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments for November despite Democrats' government shutdown.
A pair of Obama-appointed U.S. district court judges — Indira Talwani in Boston and John McConnell in Providence — ruled last week that SNAP benefits could not be cut off amid the Democrats' government shutdown.
McConnell ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday to resume the handouts either in full or in part "as soon as possible." Days later, the Trump administration announced that it would comply by exhausting $4.65 billion in contingency funds to make a partial payment that would cover roughly half of each eligible household's SNAP benefits for the month of November.
'This Court is not naïve to the administration’s true motivations.'
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, echoing President Donald Trump, emphasized on Monday that the administration doesn't want vulnerable Americans to suffer and is working to "get partial allotments to SNAP households" but that "it will take several weeks to execute partial payments." Rollins added that once obstructionist Democrats reopen the government, "FULL benefits can get to families without delay."
Democracy Forward, the anti-Trump outfit that is representing plaintiffs in the case overseen by McConnell, filed an emergency request on Tuesday asking the Obama judge to force the administration to fund SNAP benefits in full.
"Because it is now clear that due to Defendants' course of conduct, and by their own admission, undertaking a partial payment plan at this point cannot meet the Court's directives or adequately remedy the harm Plaintiffs are suffering, the Court should grant Plaintiffs' motion to enforce and should temporarily enjoin and compel Defendants to release the withheld funding, in its entirety, for November SNAP benefits," Democracy Forward said in its motion.
RELATED: Democrats' shutdown is about to make catching a flight a lot harder
McConnell proved more than willing to oblige the liberal outfit, ordering the USDA to make full SNAP payments to the states by Friday by utilizing available Section 32 funds in combination with its contingency funds.
The USDA previously indicated that it would not tap Section 32 funds — supplied by tariff revenues — because they are intended for Child Nutrition Programs, which feed at least 29 million American children and are distinct from SNAP benefits.
'We're not going to do it under the orders of a federal judge.'
"Section 32 Child Nutrition Program funds are not a contingency fund for SNAP," the USDA noted in a court filing. "Using billions of dollars from Child Nutrition for SNAP would leave an unprecedented gap in Child Nutrition funding that Congress has never had to fill with annual appropriations, and USDA cannot predict what Congress will do under these circumstances."
McConnell cited some of Trump's recent social media posts — including his Tuesday suggestion that SNAP benefits will only be doled out "when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before" — as evidence of the government's "intent to defy" his Friday order as well as the supposed insincerity of the USDA's arguments against using Section 32 funds to make full payments.
"This Court is not naïve to the administration’s true motivations," wrote McConnell. "Far from being concerned with Child Nutrition funding, these statements make clear that the administration is withholding full SNAP benefits for political purposes. Such 'unjustifiable partisanship' has infected the USDA’s decision-making, rendering it arbitrary and capricious."
The Obama judge has previously faced criticism for what WJAR described as his "ties and massive contributions to Democratic politics."
Vance noted during a roundtable with Asian leaders at the White House on Thursday that "it's an absurd ruling because you have a federal judge effectively telling us what we have to do in the midst of a Democrat government shutdown."
"What we'd like to do is for the Democrats to open up the government," continued the vice president. "Of course then we can fund SNAP, and we can also do a lot of other good things for the American people. But in the midst of a shutdown, we can't have a federal court telling the president how he has to triage the situation."
Vance added, "We're trying to keep as much going as possible. The president and the entire administration are working on that, but we're not going to do it under the orders of a federal judge. We're going to do it according to what we think we have to do to comply with the law, of course, but also to actually make the government work for people in the midst of the Democratic government shutdown."
— (@)
The Trump administration has appealed the Obama judge's ruling to the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
The Republican Party Deserves Their Bad Election Night
Zombie political culture is still eating brains.Trump uses tariff revenue to protect poor mothers and kids hurt by Democrats' shutdown
Using the revenue of some of the tariffs that liberal critics have fought vigorously, President Donald Trump has helped vulnerable American mothers and, in the process, neutralized some of Democrats' supposed "leverage" in what is nearly the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) recently admitted that while the Democrat-induced government shutdown has been painful for families across the country, it is somehow necessary because "it is one of the few leverage times [Democrats] have."
In their quest for leverage, Democrats have jeopardized critical food assistance and health care for the nearly seven million poor American pregnant mothers, breastfeeding mothers, infants, and at-risk children who rely on the special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children program known as WIC.
'American families deserve certainty from their government.'
The WIC program, which received roughly $7 billion in fiscal year 2024, is federally funded through the annual appropriations process. The National WIC Association warned last month that unless additional funding was injected into the program, millions of families would lose their benefits as of Nov. 1.
"NWA is calling on the White House to make additional emergency funds available to avoid a short-term crisis for the millions of American families who count on WIC while Congress negotiates full-year funding for FY 2026," Georgia Machell, president of the NWA, said in an Oct. 21 statement.
"WIC is a lifeline for nearly 7 million pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and young children. Even short-term disruption to WIC’s healthy food benefits, lactation support, nutrition education, screenings, and referrals can have long-term negative impacts on families," added Machell.
On Friday, the Trump administration tapped a fund of unused Section 232 tariff revenue in order to make $450 million available for the WIC program, reported Reuters.
RELATED: Here are the 4 Republicans who betrayed Trump AGAIN, joining Democrats to undermine the MAGA agenda
Federal funding records reportedly show that the money was transferred to the WIC program on Friday from the tariff revenue fund, which was made available to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for commodity disaster assistance. The USDA drew $300 million from the same fund last month to keep the WIC program liquid.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated last month, "The Trump White House will not allow impoverished mothers and their babies to go hungry because of the Democrats' political games."
Machell noted in the wake of the White House's rescue of the program that "this additional funding is a welcome relief, but it is a stopgap, not a solution," stressing the need for an end to the shutdown.
"American families deserve certainty from their government, not the constant anxiety of short-term fixes, especially when their children's health is at stake," said Machell.
While the administration swooped in to bolster the WIC program, it did not similarly drain its pool of tariff revenues to fully fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, having indicated that it lacks the authority to use emergency funds for SNAP.
Not only did the transfer temporarily deprive Democrats of the ability to use American pain as political leverage, it served as yet another point in favor of Trump's tariffs.
House Democrats prophesied in April that Trump's tariff policy would lead to economic collapse. Even though such calamity has yet to manifest, Senate Democrats passed resolutions last week to eliminate some of the president's global and country-specific tariffs, namely those imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
According to an Oct. 31 report from the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank focused on tax policy, "Trump's imposed tariffs will raise $2.4 trillion in revenue over the next decade on a conventional basis" and had raised $174 billion in revenue between January and September of this year.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
‘Operation MRE’: Meals, reform, enforcement
As the government shutdown drags on, media pundits warn about a looming “food insecurity crisis.” That’s liberal shorthand for hunger — and if government numbers are correct, some 42 million Americans are supposedly about to go hungry.
Wait a second. That means 1 in 7 Americans relies on food stamps — or, as Washington now calls it, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
If a family of illegal aliens shows up, feed them an MRE, then put them on a bus to the nearest deportation flight.
Try this simple test: Look around and count the next seven people you see. Does anyone resemble a refugee from a third-world famine? If so, check his green card. If not, hand him one of Kristi Noem’s “get home free” cards and move along.
Among those 42 million, a fair question arises: How many are genuinely hungry — and how many haven’t missed a free government meal in years, maybe decades?
Here’s a modest proposal. The government shutdown could serve an unexpected purpose — sorting the truly needy from the habitual scammers.
Once the electronic benefit transfer cards run dry, the president should declare a national emergency and order the military to help distribute food directly to Americans in need. Set up relief stations at National Guard armories and military bases in every state.
At each station, ask for a valid government-issued ID and the now-worthless EBT card. Record both, take a quick photo, and hand each applicant a copy of the U.S. dietary guidelines. Then provide meals ready to eat — MREs — from existing military stores. Ask recipients to return the next day for actual groceries, in quantities matching the recommended dietary plan.
RELATED: The food pyramid big lie: How flawed science fed America a toxic diet
That’s how you end food insecurity overnight — while also eliminating “waste, fraud, and abuse.” It’s a win-win!
While they’re there, run basic checks for outstanding warrants, duplicate or fake IDs, and phony EBT cards. In this way, every needy American gets fed, and every scammer gets flagged.
If a family of illegal aliens shows up, feed them an MRE, then put them on a bus to the nearest deportation flight.
If the system works, maybe it’s time to replace the SNAP credit-card model entirely. Instead of government-issued plastic that funds junk food and fraud, Americans in need would receive actual food — efficiently and fairly.
The result? Less waste, lower costs, and fewer excuses for corruption disguised as compassion.
And if this plan exposes just how dependent Democrats have become on managing poverty rather than solving it, so much the better. Once it’s clear that the Bad Orange Man can feed Americans and deport freeloaders in a single stroke, watch how fast Chuck Schumer and company rush to vote for that continuing resolution.
Trump admin agrees to partially fund food stamps as Democrat shutdown approaches record
President Donald Trump's administration will partially foot the bill for the food assistance program SNAP as the government shutdown rages on.
Key government programs like SNAP officially lapsed over the weekend after Democrats voted over a dozen times throughout October against reopening the government. As the shutdown inches toward a record-breaking length, the Trump administration has agreed to partially fund SNAP benefits.
'There’s a new sheriff in town.'
Two federal judges ruled on Friday that the Trump administration needs to spend a $5.25 billion emergency fund before officially cutting off SNAP. This will only cover about half of the $9 billion spent per month on SNAP benefits.
The judges also said the Department of Agriculture could move around its funds to supplement SNAP for the month of November, but the Trump administration will likely refrain, calling it an “unacceptable risk.”
RELATED: Democrat-induced shutdown poised to break record as key programs lapse
“Section 32 Child Nutrition Program funds are not a contingency fund for SNAP,” Patrick Penn, who oversees the SNAP program at the USDA, wrote Monday.
“Using billions of dollars from Child Nutrition for SNAP would leave an unprecedented gap in Child Nutrition funding that Congress has never had to fill with annual appropriations, and USDA cannot predict what Congress will do under these circumstances,” Penn added.
Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is also seizing the opportunity to comb through SNAP recipients to ensure that only Americans and not illegal aliens are receiving the taxpayer-funded benefits.
RELATED: Trump urges Senate to deploy the 'Nuclear Option' on filibuster
"On my first day [at USDA,] we told every state to send us their SNAP data so we could make sure illegal immigrants aren’t getting benefits meant for American families," Rollins said. "29 states stepped up. 21 blue states refused — and two SUED US FOR ASKING! And guess what? In just the states that cooperated, we’ve already uncovered massive fraud."
"The Democrat Party has turned its back on working Americans and built its entire strategy around protecting illegal aliens," Rollins added. "They know if the handouts stop, those illegals will go back home, and Democrats will lose 20+ seats after the next census. There’s a new sheriff in town. [President Trump] will not tolerate waste, fraud, or abuse while hardworking Americans go hungry."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Illegal Aliens Milk SNAP For Taxpayer-Funded Free Food
The SNAP program is so generous it feeds people in a home who are not eligible for the program.Illegal alien steals from SNAP program in massive fraud scheme
As more than 40 million Americans prepare for a disruption to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program handouts amid the Democrat-led government shutdown, a member of a fraud conspiracy related to SNAP has been brought to justice.
On October 15, an Italian illegal alien living in Oregon was sentenced to federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
'By siphoning millions of dollars in government funds intended for food-insecure households, this illegal criminal alien proved to be one of the worst of the worst.'
Over the course of 14 months between August 2023 and October 2024, Giovanni Spirea, 29, and his co-conspirators purchased over 120,000 pounds of groceries using electronic skimming devices to steal SNAP benefits.
"Spirea shared stolen account information with other members of the organization, who, along with him, used the stolen benefits to purchase large quantities of infant formula, energy drinks, and other SNAP-eligible nonperishable food items from grocery stores ... and through websites associated with grocery stores offering curb-side pickup," the DOJ said in a press release.
The stolen items were then sold on the black market, the DOJ added.
RELATED: Democrats’ shutdown blame game backfires — even Jake Tapper calls them out on SNAP benefits
Spirea and his co-conspirators operated in Oregon, Washington, and California. The estimated value of the stolen goods is $2.4 million.
“By siphoning millions of dollars in government funds intended for food-insecure households, this illegal criminal alien proved to be one of the worst of the worst,” said April Miller, Homeland Security Investigations Seattle acting special agent in charge.
“Protecting government-funded programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program isn’t just about preserving funds — it’s about safeguarding trust in a vital lifeline that millions of families depend on to put food on the table,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott Bradford. “Today’s sentencing should deter perpetrators from defrauding American families and the federal government for personal gain.”
Spirea was sentenced to two years in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $61,874.32 in restitution. Sixteen others were charged in the conspiracy.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Today's top stories
www.theblaze.com