Attorney General Anne Lopez joined a coalition of 22 other attorneys general and three governors in filing a lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its Secretary Brooke Rollins for unlawfully suspending the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

SNAP helps more than 40 million Americans buy food, due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.

“The unlawful suspension of SNAP benefits jeopardizes food security for thousands of Hawaiʻi residents who rely on this lifeline every day,” said Attorney General Lopez. “Our office is committed to protecting the rights of families and individuals who depend on this program.”

Despite USDA’s claim of insufficient funds, the agency has access to billions of dollars in SNAP-specific contingency funds appropriated by Congress for this very purpose. Furthermore, USDA has funded other programs with emergency funds during this shutdown, but has refused to fund SNAP, leaving millions of Americans without the assistance they need to buy food.

The coalition of attorneys general filed a motion for a temporary restraining order asking the court to immediately turn benefits back on. While the federal government funds and sets the monthly amount of SNAP benefits, states are responsible for administering programs in their states. Suspending SNAP benefits in this manner is both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. Where Congress has clearly spoken, providing that SNAP benefits should continue even during a government shutdown, USDA does not have the authority to say otherwise.

Joining Attorney General Lopez in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. The Governors of Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania have also joined.