California officials Friday applauded last-minute court orders to restart funding for federal food benefits, but the rulings will not prevent disruptions to CalFresh benefits this weekend.
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The orders came in rulings by two federal judges who told the U.S. Department of Agriculture separately Friday that it must begin using billions of dollars in contingency funding to provide federal food assistance to needy families despite the federal shutdown -- but gave the agency until Monday to decide how to do so.
Due to the federal government shutdown, CalFresh benefits were expected to be delayed in November, impacting millions of people across the state, including nearly 1.5 million in Los Angeles County and more than 310,000 in Orange County.
CalFresh is the California version of the federal food assistance program also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as EBT or food stamps. The program is entirely federally funded, but is managed by states and administered by counties.
"Today, not one, but two federal district courts determined that the Trump Administration acted unlawfully when it chose to suspend SNAP benefits for the month of November," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.
"The Trump Administration knows that it has a legal duty to fund SNAP benefits, even during the current government shutdown. In fact, just last month, the USDA admitted as much in a document that it later deleted from its website. SNAP benefits provide an essential hunger safety net to an average of 5.5 million Californians each month. Simply put, the stakes could not be higher. The Trump Administration must move expeditiously to fund November SNAP benefits."
The court orders issued by judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island left unclear how exactly the relief should be provided, or when it will arrive for families set to lose benefits starting Saturday.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger reminded residents that the county has a network of 940 food pantries in place coordinated by the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Food is available immediately for anyone who needs it and supplies will be increased for the month of November, Barger said.
"While today's court decision ordering the USDA to restart SNAP funding offers hope, the reality is that families won't see immediate relief," Barger said. "Many residents are still struggling to put food on the table as the federal shutdown continues to strain household budgets."
She added, "Los Angeles County is stepping up to fill the gap. We've mobilized local resources and community partnerships to ensure residents have access to emergency food and nutrition assistance while federal programs remain disrupted."
Supervisor Janice Hahn announced four large scale food distribution events across her district starting Nov. 8 to help those depending on CalFresh benefits. Hahn's Fourth District alone is home to 280,000 people who depend on the benefits, she said.
"Hardworking LA County residents can't afford to see their healthcare premiums double and I am proud of our members of Congress who are fighting hard to prevent it," Hahn said. "But while their fight continues, the county is ready to meet this moment and we are marshalling resources to get food to people who need it during this shutdown."
Previously, the Los Angeles Unified School District announced it is bolstering its food-distribution efforts to provide meals for affected students and families.
L.A. Care Health Plan, billed as the nation's largest publicly operated health plan, announced it was providing $5.4 million to help provide food for impacted families. Of that amount, $5 million will go to the L.A. Regional Food Bank, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles and Food Forward. The funding is expected to support 10,000 to 15,000 households in the county each week in November, according to the Health Plan.
The additional $400,000 will go toward advancing food security efforts and bolstering food distribution efforts in the county.
L.A. County officials have allocated $10 million to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to expand its purchasing capacity, and to set up pop-up and drive-through distribution sites, in addition to the existing network of 940 pantries across the county.
The county Departments of Public Social Services and Children and Family Services also contributed $2 million each to support food programs.
Democrats and Republicans blame each other for the government shutdown, with Democrats refusing to vote on a budget bill without an extension of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act to keep health care premiums down. But Republicans refuse to budge on the matter, saying the health care issue can be debated later since the health care subsidies are in place until the end of the year.
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