McKee says full SNAP benefits issued to Rhode Island households

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Gov. Dan McKee said that full SNAP benefits were issued to nearly 79,000 households on Saturday.

On Nov. 7 the Supreme Court issued an emergency order stopping the issuance of the benefits, after a lower court ruled they had to be released.

McKee issued the following statement on the benefit rollout:

The Trump Administration continues to fight its SNAP funding obligation in the courts, creating unnecessary uncertainty for states and the families who rely on this support. Unlike the Trump Administration, my Administration recognizes that that is a crisis for families and is not shirking its responsibility to help those in need. 

That is why we are actively working on contingency plans if the USDA reneges on its Friday afternoon memo positioning states to provide 100% of SNAP benefits this month rather than a partial payment.

Let’s be clear: the uncertainty here lies entirely with President Trump. The President has intentionally created chaos for states across the country – playing games with people’s ability to feed their families, weaponizing hunger, and gaslighting the American people. It’s inhumane.

We can’t predict President Trump and his reckless decisions, but we can control our response. My team is working through the weekend on contingency options to protect Rhode Islanders against President Trump’s volatility

More information on SNAP benefits in Rhode Island can be found here.