MDHHS may have jumped the shark here. U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island ordered the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to issue full November SNAP benefits by Friday, double the $ 4.6 billion in the disputed usage USDA-wide contingency fund.
The Trump Administration is appealing Obama Judge McConnell's ruling on the grounds that the federal judiciary has never been granted power of the purse in the U.S. Constitution, despite the judge's delusions. The Administration should win this appeal. Arbitrary rule by judges is called kritarchy and has never been a viable form of government.
Should the Trump Administration prevail in the higher courts, MDHHS will have put Michigan on the hook for about $ 125 million:
https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/newsroom/2025/11/06/mdhhs-november-snap-update
Following federal court order for USDA, MDHHS directs SNAP vendor to issue full payments to Michiganders
By Erin Stover - November 06, 2025USDA ordered by federal court to issue full November SNAP benefits by Friday, Nov. 7
LANSING, Mich. – Today, U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to issue full November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by Friday, Nov. 7 for roughly 42 million low-income Americans. As a result, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has directed its SNAP EBT vendor to begin issuing full SNAP benefits to Michigan SNAP recipients as soon as funding from FNS is received.
Absent a successful appeal by FNS, SNAP recipients who normally receive their benefits on the third, fifth or seventh of the month should receive their full SNAP allotment within 48 hours of MDHHS receiving the funds. All other SNAP recipients will receive their full benefit payments on their normally scheduled date.
“We applaud Judge McConnell’s ruling requiring FNS to issue full SNAP benefits for November,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “Many Michigan families depend on SNAP to help put nutritious food on the table and today’s ruling ensures they won’t be left wondering how they will feed their children– especially with the upcoming holiday season.”
In his ruling, Judge McConnell stated that the USDA failed to consider the practical consequences associated with its decision to only partially fund SNAP, and that USDA knew there would be a long delay in paying partial SNAP payments and failed to consider the harm individuals who rely on those benefits would suffer.
Earlier this week, MDHHS received communication from FNS indicating that FNS would reduce the maximum allotments to approximately 50% of the SNAP recipients’ benefit payments for the month of November. FNS had previously directed MDHHS to hold November SNAP issuance and ongoing benefits until further notice due to the federal government shutdown.
To help feed families amid the federal government shutdown, Governor Whitmer recently announced the State of Michigan will provide $4.5 million to the Food Bank Council of Michigan. This critical funding will help feed Michigan residents in all 83 counties and provide food delivery to those who can’t drive to their local food bank.
Whitmer also recently led a group of governors in a letter calling on the Trump Administration to prevent disruption to SNAP during the federal government shutdown. Additionally, the Executive Office of the Governor and state departments have helped Michigan residents feed their families by:
* Continuing Double Up Food Bucks, a program that gives Michigan families money to purchase groceries, including fresh fruits and vegetables.
* Supporting Hunters Feeding Families, a program that helps Michiganders get venison or other fresh game to feed their families.
* Continuing to feed all 1.4 million public school students free breakfast and lunch.
* SNAP recipients are encouraged to reach out to their local MDHHS office with any questions regarding SNAP benefits or can check MI Bridges for updates.To find additional resources:
* Dial 2-1-1 or visit www.mi211.org for free, confidential assistance and referrals to local food programs and support services.
* Visit the Food Bank Council of Michigan to locate nearby food banks and learn about additional hunger relief efforts.
* Call the Double Up Food Bucks program hotline at 866-586-2796, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Until Wednesday, Dec. 31, the program, which matches SNAP purchases of fruits and vegetables, will expand access so families can build up savings on their Double Up cards. Find a participating location near you: DoubleUpFoodBucks.org/find-a-location.SNAP in Michigan
In FY 2024, the average SNAP household in Michigan received $335.03 in SNAP benefits per month, which is about $173 per person per month or $5.68 per person per day. Households with very low incomes receive more SNAP benefits than households closer to the poverty line because they need more help affording nutritious food.
492,225 children benefit from SNAP.
38,513 veterans participating in SNAP.
36% SNAP households have older adults.
43% SNAP households have children.
51% households have a person with a disability.
78% of SNAP households include someone with earned income.In Michigan, more than 9,700 retailers accept SNAP. In 2023, retailers redeemed over $3.6 billion in SNAP.
To be eligible for SNAP in Michigan, applicants must be a U.S. citizen (or acceptable non-citizen status) and must live in Michigan. Eligibility is based on the financial situation of all members of a household. Everyone who lives together, purchases and prepares food together is considered a member of the same household group. In order to determine if a household is eligible for SNAP, MDHHS will review a household’s expenses, assets and income. Expenses include rent, mortgage, utility bills, child support and dependent care expenses. For individuals with a disability or who are at least 60 years old, medical care, medical supplies and health insurance premiums may be included as an expense.
MDHHS did jump the shark. It appears that MDHHS does not have a single lawyer who paid attention to his/her first year law classes. The perils of DEI.
Obama Judge McConnell's ruling just got stayed by the U.S. Supreme Court, despite his devious and blatantly illegal attempt to prevent a Trump Administration appeal at the 1st Circus by giving the Trump Administration zero time to appeal. The federal judiciary has never been granted power of the purse anywhere in the U.S. Constitution and defendants - even the government - have basic rights which a district judge cannot abrogate.
Obama Judge McConnell should be impeached for the havoc he has created with his nakedly partisan ruling.
Director Hertel is absolutely wrong to chastise the nation's highest court for demanding correct legal process, rather than her exalted desires. MDHHS' callow response to the Supreme Court of the United States:
Supreme Court Emergency Order pauses November SNAP payments
By Erin Stover - November 08, 2025Nationwide emergency order will immediately prevent SNAP recipients from receiving further benefits
LANSING, Mich. – Tonight, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency stay temporarily blocking an order to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to issue full November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for roughly 42 million low-income Americans.
To comply with the court’s ruling, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is required to direct its SNAP EBT vendor to pause issuing SNAP benefit payments to Michigan recipients. November benefits that have not yet been issued will remain paused until the courts or USDA take further action to allow MDHHS to resume payment.
“We are disappointed by the federal government's continued efforts to prevent SNAP benefits from reaching the Michigan residents who rely on them,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “Taking this matter all the way to the Supreme Court creates uncertainty, confusion, and frustration. Worse than that, it punishes the more than one million Michigan residents who qualify for and rely on their benefits to put food on the table.”
Consistent with the court order issued Thursday, MDHHS began sending full November SNAP payments. Today’s late intervention prevents the department from finalizing all payments to Michigan recipients who have yet to receive their November benefits.
SNAP recipients are encouraged to reach out to their local MDHHS office with any questions regarding SNAP benefits or can check MI Bridges for updates.
To help feed families amid the federal government shutdown, Governor Whitmer recently announced the State of Michigan is providing $4.5 million to the Food Bank Council of Michigan. This critical funding will help feed Michigan residents in all 83 counties and provide food delivery to those who can’t drive to their local food bank.
Whitmer also recently led a group of governors in a letter calling on the Trump Administration to prevent disruption to SNAP during the federal government shutdown. Additionally, the Executive Office of the Governor and state departments have helped Michigan residents feed their families by:
* Continuing Double Up Food Bucks, a program that gives Michigan families money to purchase groceries, including fresh fruits and vegetables.
* Supporting Hunters Feeding Families, a program that helps Michiganders get venison or other fresh game to feed their families.
* Continuing to feed all 1.4 million public school students free breakfast and lunch.To find additional resources:
Dial 2-1-1 or visit www.mi211.org for free, confidential assistance and referrals to local food programs and support services.
Visit the Food Bank Council of Michigan to locate nearby food banks and learn about additional hunger relief efforts.
Call the Double Up Food Bucks program hotline at 866-586-2796, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Until Wednesday, Dec. 31, the program, which matches SNAP purchases of fruits and vegetables, will expand access so families can build up savings on their Double Up cards. Find a participating location near you: DoubleUpFoodBucks.org/find-a-location.
SNAP in MichiganIn FY 2024, the average SNAP household in Michigan received $335.03 in SNAP benefits per month, which is about $173 per person per month or $5.68 per person per day. Households with very low incomes receive more SNAP benefits than households closer to the poverty line because they need more help affording nutritious food.
492,225 children benefit from SNAP.
38,513 veterans participating in SNAP.
36% SNAP households have older adults.
43% SNAP households have children.
51% households have a person with a disability.
78% of SNAP households include someone with earned income.
In Michigan, more than 9,700 retailers accept SNAP. In 2023, retailers redeemed over $3.6 billion in SNAP.To be eligible for SNAP in Michigan, applicants must be a U.S. citizen (or acceptable non-citizen status) and must live in Michigan. Eligibility is based on the financial situation of all members of a household. Everyone who lives together, purchases and prepares food together is considered a member of the same household group. In order to determine if a household is eligible for SNAP, MDHHS will review a household’s expenses, assets and income. Expenses include rent, mortgage, utility bills, child support and dependent care expenses. For individuals with a disability or who are at least 60 years old, medical care, medical supplies and health insurance premiums may be included as an expense.
Our delusional Attorney General has weighed in:
AG Nessel Issues Statement After Supreme Court Blocks Court Order Requiring USDA To Fully Fund Snap Benefits
By Danny Wimmer - November 07, 2025LANSING — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel today issued the following statement after the Supreme Court of the United States granted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) request to suspend a lower court’s order compelling them to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
"It is despicable the lengths the Trump Administration will go to to block food assistance for 42 million Americans, including families, seniors, veterans and active military,” said Attorney General Nessel. “Thanks to the quick actions from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, some Michiganders were able to receive their benefits this week, but access to food is not a legal game. I will not be deterred despite the President’s continued maneuverings and will continue to fight until every qualified resident receives the benefits they rightfully deserve.”
The Supreme Court’s decision is a direct result of four choices made by the Trump administration over the last week, each of which advocated against feeding Americans:
* On 10/24, the Trump administration chose to stop all SNAP funding for November despite billions of dollars being legally available for USDA to use to feed families;
* On 11/3, the Trump administration chose to only fund partial SNAP benefits for November despite the Rhode Island District Court laying out a clear path for USDA to transfer available funding to support full SNAP benefits in November;
* On 11/6, the Trump administration chose to appeal and ask for an immediate stay of the Rhode Island Court’s order requiring the payment of full SNAP benefits from the First Circuit Court of Appeals; and
* On 11/7, the Trump administration chose to appeal and seek an immediate stay from the Supreme Court when the First Circuit Court of Appeals refused to immediately stop the Rhode Island Court’s decision.
“These choices by this administration put Americans last and literally takes the food off of American dinner tables,” Nessel continued. “These choices unnecessarily force our family, friends and neighbors to prioritize between necessities like buying groceries or filling prescriptions. I implore the Trump Administration to stand down and ensure that Americans are fed throughout this protracted shutdown.”
Last night, following a court order in Rhode Island, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued benefits helping over 200,000 households whose benefits are typically provided on the third, fifth or seventh of each month. Tonight’s decision by the Supreme Court will halt future full benefits from being distributed for an unknown period.
AG Nessel has joined a coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia in a similar lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. In that case, a judge ordered that the federal government is required to fund the SNAP program using all of its SNAP contingency funding. The states have since asked the Court to compel the government to use other funding sources to fully fund the SNAP program, as the federal government’s decision to only partially fund the program has created unacceptable delays and needless chaos.
AG Nessel seems unfamiliar with the U.S. Constitution and the different, entirely exclusive, roles it assigns to the three branches of the U.S. government.
Michigan wasn't alone in jumping the shark:
After states told to ‘undo’ SNAP payments, what happens?
By Addy Bink - November 9, 2025(NEXSTAR) — SNAP recipients have again been thrown for a loop after the U.S. Department of Agriculture instructed states to “immediately undo” actions they had taken to send out full food assistance benefits following a string of court decisions.
At first, states were instructed to send out partial benefits, then slightly larger benefits, then full benefits. Then Friday night, the Supreme Court responded to a request from the Trump administration to halt that latter decision for the time being, just hours after several states had sent out full SNAP benefits to their recipients.
In a directive to local SNAP directors (the USDA oversees SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but states administer the grocery assistance program) on Saturday, the USDA warned that those who do not “undo” their funding actions could lose out on federal cost-sharing and held responsible for the funds that have been administered.
In response to the USDA’s directive, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers responded with a simple “No.” According to a Saturday court filing submitted by 26 states, Wisconsin has “insufficient funds to reimburse retailers for their provisions sold to SNAP recipients” after the U.S. Treasury declined the transaction to fill the state’s SNAP EBT cards.
The lack of money could leave vendors unpaid and trigger escalating legal claims, the states warned. “States could face demands to return hundreds of millions of dollars in the aggregate,” the states’ filing at the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals says.
In a filing in federal court on Sunday, the agency said states moved too quickly and erroneously released full money SNAP Benefits after last week’s rulings. The USDA did not immediately respond to Nexstar’s request for comment or additional details.
Though the Senate is believed to be nearing a deal to reopen the government, SNAP beneficiaries may find themselves in limbo with their funds in the meantime.
What happens to SNAP benefits?
In several states, officials have confirmed that benefits sent out to recipients on Friday remain available.
Nearly 32,000 Coloradans received their full SNAP benefits before the Supreme Court’s decision, and they will keep their funds, Gov. Jared Polis told Nexstar’s KDVR on Sunday. Partial benefits will be paid out to the thousands of others awaiting funds, albeit with a 35% reduction.
Illinois said it was also distributing partial benefits to SNAP customers.
In Oregon and Washington, officials said full benefits had been sent out on Friday and would not be withdrawn, allowing recipients to use their funds as usual. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said Saturday that full benefits had been loaded onto SNAP EBT cards, with some funds coming from the state.
Officials in New Jersey said they are “monitoring developments” while encouraging SNAP beneficiaries to check their EBT card balances.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey similarly said the state was working to get SNAP recipients their funds while noting benefits already loaded onto EBT cards could be used to buy food. Healey said that if Trump attempts to claw back the money, “we will see him in court.”
In Hawaii, where at least some SNAP recipients received full benefits on Friday, health officials said they have “not received reports of widespread issues with SNAP EBT transactions being declined” in the state. Officials were continuing to monitor the situation, and said a $250 Hawai‘i Emergency Food Assistance Program (HEFAP) benefit is set to be available on EBT cards on Monday.
In Michigan, authorities said benefits not yet issued for November “will remain paused until the courts or the USDA take further action.” California‘s Department of Social Services has warned that some may see their benefits “further delayed” following the Supreme Court’s order.
Some in New York began receiving November SNAP benefits on Sunday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said. On Friday, she directed state agencies to “fully fund” SNAP, Nexstar’s WPIX reported, but it’s unclear whether New Yorkers were receiving full or partial funds on Sunday.
Governor Wes Moore called for the state of Maryland to provide a supplemental benefit of 50% of the funds SNAP recipients there typically get, with payments expected to start going out on Tuesday.
Moore said in an interview on CBS on Sunday that “in the past six days, we’ve received four different measures of guidance” from the Trump administration.
“There is a chaos, and it is an intentional chaos, that we are seeing from this administration,” Moore said.
Ohio has delayed its SNAP benefits, as has South Dakota, where benefits were expected to go out in full on Monday.
If you’re uncertain about the status of your SNAP benefits, you may want to access the online portal or contact your local SNAP program to confirm the status of your funds.
USDA issued a guidance to the states late yesterday which is only now coming to light:
USDA tells states to undo efforts to issue full food aid benefits
By Leah Douglas - November 9, 2025Summary
* Saturday USDA memo says state actions were unauthorized
* Supreme Court has allowed Trump administration to withhold $4 billion SNAP funding for now
* Nearly 42 million low-income Americans receive SNAP food aid
* Massachusetts Governor threatens court action over food aid fundingWASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture directed states to roll back any steps taken to issue full food aid benefits to low-income Americans or risk financial penalties.
The new guidance issued late on Saturday follows a U.S. Supreme Court order on Friday that allowed the Trump administration to continue withholding $4 billion to fully fund the aid for nearly 42 million recipients, pending a lower court ruling.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, also known as food stamps, lapsed at the start of the month for the first time in the program's 60-year history due to the federal government shutdown, which is now in its 40th day.
Hours before the Supreme Court order, the USDA had informed states, opens new tab in a memo that it was working to comply with a federal judge's order to fully fund SNAP, even as the administration moved to appeal the ruling.
After receiving that Friday memo, several states said they were beginning the process of issuing full benefits.
But those state actions are now unauthorized because of the Supreme Court order, the USDA wrote in guidance released on Saturday. State governments should instead issue only partial benefits, the USDA said.
"States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025," the memo issued by the USDA late Saturday said.
"Failure to comply with this memorandum may result in USDA taking various actions, including cancellation of the Federal share of state administrative costs and holding states liable for any overissuances that result from the noncompliance," the USDA said.
Some states had previously said they would fund November SNAP benefits using state funds. It was not immediately clear whether the memo applied to actions taken by those states. The USDA did not respond to a request for additional comment.
Massachusetts and New Jersey, which were among the states that said on Friday they were moving to issue full benefits to SNAP recipients, criticized the guidance by the USDA.
"If President Trump wants to penalize states for preventing Americans from going hungry, we will see him in court," Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said in a written statement.
"We will continue to work with (Massachusetts) Attorney General (Andrea) Campbell to make sure everyone gets the full benefits they are owed," Healey added.
A spokesperson for New Jersey's Office of the Governor said in a statement that the state is closely monitoring developments.
"Washington Republicans’ determination to starve American citizens during this government shutdown is shameful," the spokesperson said. "We hope that a fair resolution to this unnecessary, unprecedented problem is reached soon and federal funding for SNAP and other lapsed programs is backfilled."
LEGAL FIGHT
States, cities and nonprofit organizations have sued the administration of President Donald Trump to issue full SNAP benefits after it said in October that the program would lapse on November 1.
Two federal judges ruled on October 31 that the administration needed to at least partially fund the benefits using an agency contingency fund of about $5 billion. SNAP benefits cost about $8 billion to $9 billion per month.
The administration said it would comply with the order, but warned of weeks or months of delay due to technical hurdles.
Cities and nonprofits represented by the liberal legal group Democracy Forward argued those actions were inadequate and pressed U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island to order the administration to issue full benefits.
On November 6, McConnell ordered the administration to fully fund November SNAP benefits by the following day, which was quickly appealed by the Department of Justice.
The Supreme Court's Friday order gave the Boston-based First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals additional time to consider the administration's formal request to only partially fund the benefits.
As the legal fight plays out, SNAP recipients have turned to already strained food pantries and made sacrifices like forgoing medications to stretch tight budgets.
The MDHHS nomenklatura may yet be rescued from their SNAP folly by the 8 Democratic Senators who caved yesterday evening, allowing a vote on a resolution to end the government shutdown. It should be noted that neither Michigan Senator - both Democrats - voted to end the shutdown. See the highlighted text at the end of this article.
There is a good possibility that the federal shutdown will conclude before next weekend, but this will require the House of Representatives to accept the changes to the CR adopted by the Senate. It is also possible that some Republican Senators may revolt against what is, in essence, a partial repeal of OBBBA:
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5597973-senate-votes-government-shutdown-deal/
Senate votes to advance proposal to end 40-day government shutdown
By Alexander Bolton - November 9, 2025A group of shutdown-weary Democratic senators voted with Republicans Sunday night to advance a legislative vehicle to reopen the federal government and end the 40-day shutdown that has left tens of thousands of workers furloughed and caused chaos at the nation’s airports.
The Senate voted 60-40 to proceed to a House-passed continuing resolution to reopen the government, taking a big first step toward ending the shutdown after a group of centrist Democrats negotiated a funding deal with Senate Republican colleagues and the White House.
Senate Democrats blocked that same House-passed bill to fund the government on 14 previous occasions.
But a group of centrist and retiring Democrats felt intense pressure to reopen the government after Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding expired on Nov. 1 and staff shortages among air traffic controllers resulted in major delays at airports.
Eight Democrats voted to take up the House bill.
The group included Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), who will retire at the end of the year, and Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who represents more than 144,000 employees in his home state.
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats, also voted yes. He worked closely with Shaheen and Hassan to craft the agreement to reopen the government.
Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) voted to end the shutdown, as well, reflecting the position they’ve held for weeks.
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined with her home-state colleague, Cortez Masto, in voting for the measure.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) now plans to amend the House-passed legislative vehicle with the compromise deal worked out with Shaheen, Hassan, King and other.
Shaheen, a member of the Appropriations committee, worked with Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), on the funding bills included in the package.
Shaheen, who is retiring at the end of next year, acknowledged that some of her Democratic colleagues aren’t happy with the deal, which does not include language to extend enhanced health insurance subsidies.
But she argued that keeping much of the federal government closed would only prolong the pain felt by millions of Americans and likely not result in a breakthrough on health-care costs.
“I understand that not all of my Democratic colleagues are satisfied with this agreement but waiting another week or another month wouldn’t deliver a better outcome. It would only mean more harm for families in New Hampshire,” Shaheen said at a press conference after the vote.
That proposal would fund military construction, veterans’ affairs, the Department of Agriculture and the legislative branch though Sept. 30 of 2026.
It includes a stopgap measure to fund the rest of government through Jan. 30.
The compromise proposal includes language to retain more than 4,000 federal workers targeted for layoffs during the shutdown as well as language to prevent the Trump administration from firing additional federal workers through reductions in force (RIFs) for the length of the newly drafted continuing resolution — until Jan. 30.
Kaine was involved in negotiating the protections for federal workers.
Passage of the bill sets the stage for the House of Representatives to return to Washington after being away for seven weeks to vote to send the legislation to President Trump’s desk.
Thune agreed as part of the broader deal to schedule a vote later this year on legislation to extend the enhanced health insurance premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that are due to expire in January.
The Senate GOP leader, however, did not guarantee that any bill to extend the subsidies will pass the Senate or — if it passes the upper chamber — get a vote in the House.
Hassan and King focused on getting Thune to agree to a vote in December on extending enhanced health insurance subsidies.
The deal would ensure that a substantial portion of the federal government is funded through Sept. 30 with regular appropriations bills, a top Democratic priority, and it sets the stage for Congress to act on other regular spending bills funding the Pentagon and the Department of Health and Human Services.
It was cobbled together after weeks of negotiations between Shaheen, Hassan and King and Republican members of the Appropriations Committee as well as the Senate GOP leadership and the Trump White House.
Sunday’s vote capped weeks of intense negotiations, during which Democratic senators spent many hours in the Capitol basement trying to figure out a way to end the standoff.
Several Democrats who were involved in those talks, including Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who played a prominent role, ended up voting against proceeding to the legislative vehicle to reopen the government.
Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who participated in the meetings, also voted no.
Slotkin said she distanced herself from the negotiations when it became clear the deal would not include a language to extend the ACA subsidies in the bill to fund government.
“I was involved for many weeks then over the last couple weeks, it changed. Last week it changed so I wasn’t [involved] in the end game,” she told reporters after a Democratic caucus meeting Sunday evening.
“I always said it’s got to do something concrete on health care and it’s hard to see how that happened,” she said.
Not content to screw up just once, the MDHHS nomenklatura has decided to jump the SNAP shark a second time. Note that USDA has not lifted their guidance of 08 November (above):
MDHHS directs SNAP vendor to resume issuing full payments for November
By Erin Stover - November 10, 2025LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has directed its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) EBT vendor to once again begin issuing full SNAP benefits to Michigan SNAP recipients.
SNAP recipients who normally receive their benefits on the ninth of the month should receive their full SNAP allotment within 48 hours. All other SNAP recipients should receive full benefit payments on their normally scheduled date. Those who receive monthly benefits on the third, fifth and seventh of the month previously received their benefits last week.
“We are glad to be able to provide assistance to Michigan families to help them put food on the table,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “The uncertainty, confusion, and frustration caused by the USDA’s request to block SNAP payments for the more than one million Michigan residents who rely on food assistance has been unfair, and in Michigan, we will continue to do everything we can to help those affected.”
SNAP recipients are encouraged to reach out to their local MDHHS office with any questions regarding SNAP benefits or can check MI Bridges for updates.
To help feed families amid the federal government shutdown, Governor Whitmer recently announced the State of Michigan is providing $4.5 million to the Food Bank Council of Michigan. This critical funding will help feed Michigan residents in all 83 counties and provide food delivery to those who can’t drive to their local food bank.
Whitmer also recently led a group of governors in a letter calling on the Trump Administration to prevent disruption to SNAP during the federal government shutdown.
Additionally, the Executive Office of the Governor and state departments have helped Michigan residents feed their families by:
* Continuing Double Up Food Bucks, a program that gives Michigan families money to purchase groceries, including fresh fruits and vegetables.
* Supporting Hunters Feeding Families, a program that helps Michiganders get venison or other fresh game to feed their families.
* Continuing to feed all 1.4 million public school students free breakfast and lunch.To find additional resources:
* Dial 2-1-1 or visit www.mi211.org for free, confidential assistance and referrals to local food programs and support services.
* Visit the Food Bank Council of Michigan to locate nearby food banks and learn about additional hunger relief efforts.
* Call the Double Up Food Bucks program hotline at 866-586-2796, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Until Wednesday, Dec. 31, the program, which matches SNAP purchases of fruits and vegetables, will expand access so families can build up savings on their Double Up cards. Find a participating location near you: DoubleUpFoodBucks.org/find-a-location.SNAP in Michigan
In FY 2024, the average SNAP household in Michigan received $335.03 in SNAP benefits per month, which is about $173 per person per month or $5.68 per person per day. Households with very low incomes receive more SNAP benefits than households closer to the poverty line because they need more help affording nutritious food.
492,225 children benefit from SNAP.
38,513 veterans participating in SNAP.
36% SNAP households have older adults.
43% SNAP households have children.
51% households have a person with a disability.
78% of SNAP households include someone with earned income.
In Michigan, more than 9,700 retailers accept SNAP. In 2023, retailers redeemed over $3.6 billion in SNAP.To be eligible for SNAP in Michigan, applicants must be a U.S. citizen (or acceptable non-citizen status) and must live in Michigan. Eligibility is based on the financial situation of all members of a household. Everyone who lives together, purchases and prepares food together is considered a member of the same household group. In order to determine if a household is eligible for SNAP, MDHHS will review a household’s expenses, assets and income. Expenses include rent, mortgage, utility bills, child support and dependent care expenses. For individuals with a disability or who are at least 60 years old, medical care, medical supplies and health insurance premiums may be included as an expense.
Why the idiots at MDHHS should not have jumped the SNAP shark, again:
US Supreme Court extends pause on order requiring Trump to fully fund food aid
By John Kruzel - November 11, 2025WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday extended a pause on a judge's order that required President Donald Trump's administration to fully fund food aid for 42 million low-income Americans this month amid the federal government shutdown, even as lawmakers took steps toward ending the stalemate.
The court's action allows the administration for now to continue withholding about $4 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps.
Lawyers for the administration told the justices on Monday that an end to the government shutdown would eliminate its need to halt the judge's order, so the court's extension of a pause issued last Friday by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson may prove short-lived.
Jackson, on Tuesday, wrote that she would have denied the administration's request to further halt the judge's order.
The extended pause is set to expire on Thursday.The U.S. Senate on Monday approved compromise legislation that would end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, breaking a weeks-long stalemate that has disrupted food benefits for millions, left hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid and snarled air traffic.
SNAP benefits lapsed at the start of the month for the first time in the program's 60-year history. Recipients have turned to already strained food pantries and made sacrifices like forgoing medications to stretch tight budgets.
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