By Suzanne Downing 
The US. Supreme Court on Friday handed President Donald Trump a victory in his standoff with federal courts over the distribution of food stamp benefits during the government shutdown and the extent of executive branch powers.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the most liberal of the justices, issued an administrative stay that temporarily freezes a Rhode Island judge’s order requiring the Trump Administration to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for November. The order gives the administration discretion to delay or reduce payments while the First US Circuit Court of Appeals reviews the case.
The decision reverses a Biden-era interpretation of mandatory SNAP funding during shutdowns. It restores executive branch control over how limited funds are managed while Congress hammers out a spending deal.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski had said Friday she was “relieved” that the Department of Agriculture had begun issuing full November benefits to roughly 66,000 Alaskans on the program. Her office was told that half the payments had already gone out and the remainder were set for Monday.
But within 24 hours, USDA reversed course. In a Saturday memo, the agency directed states to halt full payments, warning they could face financial consequences for disbursing benefits beyond partial levels. The change followed the Supreme Court’s stay, which effectively paused the lower court’s directive.
The Trump Administration’s legal team argued that forcing full payments during a shutdown would tie the executive branch’s hands, making it impossible to prioritize essential services or manage cash flow responsibly. Conservatives praised the Court’s action as a return to fiscal discipline and constitutional balance, while critics accused the administration of using the shutdown to pressure Congress on welfare spending.
For now, tens of thousands in Alaska are caught in the middle of the legal tug-of-war over how far Washington should go in funding entitlement programs when the government itself isn’t fully open for business.
Why are so many Alaskan’s on food stamps?
Well, we still have many Homeless who are on welfare and Snap, what was the last count something like near 2,000??I could be corrected..
66,000 out of approximately 780,000 Alaskans is actually a very encouraging that not many singles and families are depending on food banks, liberal church’s food drives and pantries and SNAP
It could be worse it could be 400,000 Alaskans are dependent on SNAP
The goal should be how to decrease that 66,000 by have that only 33,000 Alaskans are receiving SNAP and using food banks
I donate to the Foodbank of Alaska monthly. If we have the means, we should all take care of our (truly) needy neighbors. And I don’t mean those who choose the alternative life style of flopping down for a snooze or a dump where ever they are at the time.
The message shouldn’t be blasting Democrats so much for not opening the government But be about showing Americans how government dependent Americans are on government that politicians CAN use government shutdowns
If government was smaller and Americans were not dependent on government, politicians couldn’t hold the government hostage during political skirmishes
Just telling the truth. the people bring upon themselves these government shutdowns by our dependency
Owning the Libs is all that matters to Trump. Victory!. He winning so bigly. Unfortunately those going hungry are not.
I emptied my pantry yesterday and took the contents to the local food bank. How about you?
I do it regularly. Thank you for doing it, too. See? We can agree on something! – sd
I’m glad to hear that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has been reading up on the Constitution in her down time. She seems to have recently discovered the basic framework of our Constitutional Republic wherein the Legislative Branch makes the rules, the Executive Branch enforces the law, and the Judicial Branch interprets the law. Good on her for taking the time to finally inform herself.