Attorney General Mayes Opposes Trump Administration's Attempt to Withhold Full SNAP Benefits

PHOENIX – Attorney General Kris Mayes today joined a coalition of 26 states in filing an amicus brief opposing the Trump Administration’s request to block a court order to deliver full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to the millions of Americans relying on them. The federal government’s motion, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, comes after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fully fund November benefits by today. 

"The Trump administration should stop holding 900,000 Arizonan's food benefits hostage during the month of Thanksgiving," said Attorney General Mayes.

Attorney General Mayes and the coalition filed their brief in Rhode Island State Council of Churches, et al., v.  Rollins, et al., arguing that USDA has the money to fully fund this program and should do so immediately to prevent further harm to states. They argue USDA’s needlessly complicated calculation of reduced benefits has sown chaos in states and if they are forced to carry out this plan, it would create substantial, unlawful delays in getting benefits to recipients. The coalition also explains that the loss of SNAP benefits has a ripple effect on other state services, as increased food insecurity creates a strain on state safety net programs, and healthcare and educational institutions.  

The attorneys general argue that due to the federal government’s resistance to meeting their legal obligations to fully fund the SNAP program, American families are struggling to meet their most basic needs. These harms to states will continue unless immediate full payment of SNAP benefits is issued. Attorney General Mayes and the coalition urge the Court to deny the federal government’s motion for a stay.  

Joining Attorney General Mayes in filing this amicus brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin, and the Governors of Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. 

The coalition’s amicus brief comes in addition to ongoing lawsuit joined by Arizona against the Trump Administration for suspending SNAP benefits in a manner that is both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act.  
 

• In Arizona, 12% of the state’s population receives SNAP benefits, including 30,000 Arizona veterans. 

• That means nearly 900,000 Arizonans rely on SNAP benefits to help feed themselves and their families. 
   
• More than half of the families in two rural counties – Apache and Gila - rely on SNAP. In Navajo and Yuma counties, a quarter of residents receive SNAP benefits. In Santa Cruz and Gila, it’s more than one in five residents who receive SNAP.

• Most of these families would be out around $360, the average amount Arizona households using SNAP benefits were able to spend on groceries that month.  

• 1 in 4 children in Arizona rely on SNAP benefits– in fact 40% of SNAP funding in Arizona goes to feeding children.

• For every meal that a food pantry provides, SNAP provides 9.

• The economy is going to take a big hit without SNAP funding as well. Data has shown that in a weak economy, $1 of SNAP benefits increases economic activity and growth by $1.5 to $1.8.   

• Over 4,600 Arizona retailers are approved to accept EBT cards and could lose revenue.

A copy of the amicus is here.