The battle over food assistance has escalated as Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey openly rejected the Trump administration’s demand to “undo” Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments that were already issued to millions of Americans.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), under the Trump administration, sent a directive to state agencies ordering them to reverse full SNAP payouts for November 2025, warning that states could face penalties or repayment orders if they failed to comply. The memo followed a Supreme Court ruling that temporarily halted lower court decisions which had required the federal government to continue full food aid funding during the ongoing government shutdown.
But both McKee and Healey said their states would stand by residents who rely on the benefits to buy food.
Governor Dan McKee criticized the Trump administration’s “chaotic and heartless directives,” calling them “a cruel attempt to sow confusion, fear, and hunger.” He assured Rhode Islanders that their EBT cards remain active, and the state would not retract benefits already distributed. McKee added that Rhode Island has contingency funds ready to support families if federal reimbursements are delayed, saying, “Our people will not go hungry because of political games in Washington.”
Meanwhile, Governor Maura Healey issued a strongly worded statement defending Massachusetts’ decision to proceed with SNAP payments. She emphasized that the state acted in good faith under valid federal guidelines and court orders at the time of disbursement. “Families received these benefits legally,” Healey said. “We will not claw them back — and if the federal government tries, we’ll see them in court.”
Healey further accused the Trump administration of misplaced priorities, arguing that instead of focusing on reopening the government or resolving the budget impasse, federal officials were “targeting working families who depend on food assistance to survive.”
The SNAP dispute comes amid a broader political and humanitarian crisis caused by the prolonged federal shutdown, now in its 40th day — the longest in U.S. history. Food banks across the country have reported surging demand as uncertainty grows over federal nutrition programs.
Advocates for low-income households say the administration’s order to reverse payments could have catastrophic consequences, especially for families already living paycheck to paycheck. “This isn’t just bureaucratic chaos,” said one anti-hunger group. “It’s an attack on America’s most vulnerable.”
As legal and political tensions rise, McKee and Healey’s defiance signals a growing state-level rebellion against federal overreach. Both governors have vowed to coordinate with other states to protect SNAP recipients from financial harm — and to push back against policies that they describe as punitive, reckless, and deeply out of touch.
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