New York Attorney General Letitia James and 24 other state leaders and the District of Columbia on Tuesday sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for suspending Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the ongoing federal government shutdown .

The coalition argued that the administration’s refusal to issue November SNAP payments to more than 40 million Americans – including nearly three million New Yorkers – violates federal law because the USDA is legally required to continue providing benefits as long as it has funding. The USDA has access to at least $6 billion in contingency funds appropriated by Congress for exactly this purpose, the coalition said.

The coalition is asking the court to intervene immediately and ensure USDA uses its existing conti

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