Newsom cites biblical teachings to slam federal leaders, Trump admin over government shutdown's impact on food assistance, as California sues USDA over suspended SNAP benefits.

WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Saturday that food benefits under one of the country's biggest social assistance programs will not be issued next month amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

A coalition of states filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from suspending food aid benefits amid the ongoing government shutdown.

With benefits expected to run out Saturday because of the government shutdown, Democratic leaders of 25 states allege that the USDA is required to keep providing funds.

The USDA “has broken the law in a way that will create really severe consequences for a lot of vulnerable people,” AG Jeff Jackson said.

A now-deleted contingency plan showed the U.S. Department of Agriculture once expected to keep food assistance funded during a government shutdown — before reve

Dept. of Agriculture for cutting off food assistance to over 42 million Americans during the government shutdown. “Congress put a rainy-day fund in place so nutrition support could continue,” says Minnesota AG Keith Ellison.

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — This spring, the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled thousands of orders, accounting for millions of pounds of food, meant for low-income Americans. Orders totaling more than 370,000 pounds of U.S.-produced meat, dairy and produce for Idaho food banks were canceled, according to USDA data obtained by ProPublica.

NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson is taking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to court, accusing the agency of illegally withholding more than $230 million in monthly food assistance for 1.4 million North Carolinians.