A coalition of 23 Democratic attorneys generals and three governors are suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture over its suspension of food benefits, which take effect on Nov. 1. They allege the Trump administration is illegally withholding contingency funds that could pay for the food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who joined the lawsuit, said Tuesday morning that more than 600,000 Kentuckians rely on the benefits, which come loaded on an electronic benefits transfer, or EBT, card each month.

“There are emergency funds sitting around that the president could use to fund the SNAP program,” Beshear said. “All he has to do is be willing to do it.”

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of M

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