Colorado is suing the USDA for a forced restart of SNAP benefits

Colorado is joining a multistate lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture to force the restart of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits — better known as SNAP — which are set to expire on November 1^st because of the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Attorney General Phil Weiser announced Tuesday that Colorado is suing the USDA and Secretary Brooke Rollins, along with 22 other attorneys general and three governors. The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts, argues that suspending SNAP benefits is illegal, noting this is the first time in the program’s history that payments have been delayed.

SNAP supports about 600,000 Coloradans — roughly ten percent of the state’s population — and more than 41 million people nationwide. The states say the USDA has a six-billion-dollar contingency fund that could be used to cover benefits, but the agency insists those funds aren’t legally available.

Weiser, who’s also running for governor, called the move “deliberate, illegal, and inhumane,” saying it will strain local governments and food pantries already struggling to meet demand.

Governor Jared Polis is asking the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee to approve ten million dollars in emergency aid for food banks and to extend funding for WIC, the nutrition program for women, infants, and children.

The lawsuit asks a federal judge to issue an emergency order restoring SNAP benefits immediately.