California sues USDA, seeks order to restore November SNAP benefits

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said today that California and a multistate coalition have filed a complaint and an expedited request for a temporary restraining order seeking to force the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use available contingency funds and to stop withholding November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

"They are doing this on purpose. It is deliberate," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said, describing USDA communications that, he said, first told states SNAP should continue during a lapse in appropriations and then reversed course and ordered states to withhold issuance files. Bonta said the agency has contingency funds — which he described as up to $6,000,000,000 — that could be used to fund November benefits.

The lawsuit, Bonta said, was filed by a coalition that he described as including 23 attorneys general and three governors and seeks a court ruling that the suspension is unlawful, an order requiring USDA to use available funds "to provide as many benefits as possible," and an injunction to prevent withholding of November benefits. Bonta said the filing…