On January 16, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra joined a coalition of 15 attorneys general and the City of New York in a lawsuit to block a Trump Administration rule that would cut basic food assistance for nearly 700,000 of our nation’s poorest people.
“We thank California Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra for their continued defense of SNAP/CalFresh and food insecure Californians,” said Jared Call, Senior Advocate for California Food Policy Advocates. “We hope this lawsuit will thwart the implementation of this cruel and misguided USDA rule.”
The rule, scheduled to go into effect on April 1, is an unwise expansion of a harsh, unfair, and counterproductive policy. It would greatly restrict the flexibility states have always had to waive time limits on SNAP in areas with insufficient jobs for low-income workers—effectively punishing unemployed/underemployed childless adults by limiting their eligibility for SNAP to only three months within a three year period. In the first year alone, the rule would cut benefits for nearly 400,000 of Califiornians, worsening hunger and deepening poverty across our state.
The suit argues that the Trump Administration failed to consider the full impact of the proposed rule, highlighting the disparate harm it would cause women and people of color, particularly black and Latinx Americans.
CFPA submitted comments against the proposed rule, describing the harm it would bring to California if counties had to limit SNAP/CalFresh participation for those individuals struggling to maintain stable employment.
“This Administration has repeatedly advanced proposals that would harm vulnerable populations by cutting access to SNAP/CalFresh, our nation’s most powerful anti-hunger program. CFPA and our anti-hunger allies remain committed to protecting vital programs and policies that help those who have fallen on hard times meet their basic needs,” Call said.
The lawsuit was filed by 13 states including California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia, as well as the City of New York and the District of Columbia.
What’s next?
The rule is still scheduled to go into effect in April 2020. This means the rules related to people with ABAWD status have not yet changed, and SNAP participants and people seeking food assistance should continue applying for and using benefits as normal.
For a more detailed analysis of the rule change, see the statement from our partners at the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities.
Please stay tuned for more updates from CFPA on how you can help protect food assistance for low-income Californians in the face of ongoing attacks from the federal administration.
Stay up to date by signing up for our Action Alerts and following us at @CAFoodPolicy.
Questions? Contact: Jared Call at 323.401.4972 or Melissa Cannon at 209.200.8446
