President Donald Trump said Thursday the United States needed to "remain very liquid" to handle unexpected crises, responding to a court ruling earlier in the day ordering his administration to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by Friday.
"Our country has to remain very liquid because problems — catastrophes, wars, could be anything," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We can't give everything away based on a number."
A federal judge ruled earlier Thursday that the administration must fully fund SNAP benefits for 42 million low-income Americans in November, rejecting the White House's earlier plan to provide only partial payments.
Before the ruling, the administration had said it would partially fund the program by drawing on $4.65 billion in contingency reserves, which officials said would cover roughly half the normal monthly outlay. The court found that approach arbitrary and likely to cause "irreparable harm" to beneficiaries, directing the government to present a full-funding plan by the end of the week.
Administration lawyers argued they lacked legal authority to use broader emergency funds and warned that states could face delays of several weeks in adjusting systems to disburse full benefits.
The White House now has until Friday to outline how it will comply with the ruling and restore full food aid payments.
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