States to urge US judge to block Trump administration from suspending food benefits

BOSTON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Boston will consider on Thursday whether to block President Donald Trump's administration from moving forward with plans to suspend food aid for millions of Americans starting on Saturday amid the ongoing government shutdown.

Lawyers for 25 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia will urge U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani at a Boston hearing to order the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use $6 billion in contingency funds to pay for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, which nearly 42 million low-income Americans rely on.

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