Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Monday morning new efforts to protect food benefits California has distributed after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) directed states over the weekend to halt and reverse payments.
The filing for a temporary restraining order against the federal government, joined by 23 attorneys general and three governors, comes as the USDA instructed states to “immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025” amid the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.
“The whiplash the president and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins have given Americans in recent weeks, the steps they’ve taken to prevent vulnerable families from putting food on the table, are unnecessary, unconscionable and unlawful,” Bonta said. “We refuse to stand by and allow it to continue without a fight.”
The shutdown, which began in early October, has resulted in delayed payments for those on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). According to Bonta, it has sparked “confusion and chaos” that was “concocted by the Trump administration.”
Over 41 million people nationwide rely on SNAP, with approximately 5.5 million using California’s version, known as CalFresh. Food benefits have become a focal point of disputes between courts, states, and the federal administration.
Last week, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to make a payment that would fully fund the month of November. Despite this, the administration has ignored a previous order to resume certain payments and is appealing the most recent ruling.
The court’s decision prompted states including California to reinstate benefits on people’s EBT cards. According to Bonta, “the vast majority” of Californians on CalFresh “have received full funding” payments that the USDA is now attempting to claw back.
On Saturday, the USDA warned that “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 U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts is currently pausing this request, with a hearing scheduled for later Monday.
“If any of that back and forth left you with whiplash, you are not alone,” Bonta acknowledged. He later emphasized, “I want every SNAP beneficiary to know we are fighting for you tooth and nail to make sure that you can be fed. And that there will be no revocation or undoing of the benefits that you have loaded onto your cards.”
There is hope for an end to the federal government shutdown. On Sunday, eight Democratic senators broke ranks to join Republicans in making a deal to reopen the government.
The October shutdown began primarily due to Democrats seeking extended subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which supports low-income Americans’ access to health care. The current deal does not guarantee these extended subsidies but is based on an informal agreement that Republicans will vote to extend them in December.
Speaking Monday morning, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the deal: “They got a promise that they would bring up a bill. Well, what’s that? They’re gonna vote for it? Is he gonna sign it? What’s the promise? What’s a promise? Them is fighting words.”
The eight Democrats who voted for the deal have faced criticism from fellow party members, including Governor Gavin Newsom, who posted on social media: “Pathetic. This isn’t a deal. It’s a surrender. Don’t bend the knee!”
California’s senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, made clear they will not support the deal, citing concerns over health care access.
“This does nothing to stop the Republican-made health care crisis. It does nothing to stop premiums from doubling for millions of Americans,” Padilla said, according to the Sacramento Bee.
“I have heard from countless Californians who are at risk of losing their health insurance, and my position has been clear from the beginning: I would not support a government funding bill that did not fund health care tax credits,” Schiff added.
KQED reporters Carly Severn and Sara Hossaini contributed to this report.
https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2025/11/10/california-moves-to-protect-calfresh-payments-from-federal-confusion-and-chaos/