The Trump administration told a Rhode Island federal judge on Monday that it would tap billions of dollars in contingency funds to pay 50% of the normal amount of SNAP benefits in November as the U.S. government shutdown persists.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides food stamps to about 42 million low-income Americans.

The administration in a court filing told Judge Jack McConnell that it had declined the option he suggested to make full November payments for SNAP benefits by using at least $4 billion from the Child Nutrition Program , as well as from other unspecified funds.

Instead, the administration will use all of the $4.65 billion remaining from a contingency fund for SNAP appropriated by Congress for "November benefits that will be obligated to cove

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