Heidi Li Feldman
Yesterday, federal judge John McConnell of the district court of Rhode Island issued written order requiring the Trump regime to fully fund November SNAP benefits by tomorrow or in the alternative, and assuming it can do so reasonably, to exercise its discretion to fund partially and do so by Wednesday. As with earlier order from a different SNAP case, I expect Trump regime to appeal, no money to flow this week. 1/ #LawFedi
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.rid.60750/gov.uscourts.rid.60750.19.0.pdf
Nov 2 at 3:26pmIvory for iOS
Show threadHeidi Li FeldmanNov 2
Plaintiffs in the case include cities and organizations who are suing on behalf of themselves and residents, members, and clients who rely on SNAP to eat. (So, different from the case brought by the states, which is about the harm the states themselves are suffering due to Trump regime’s refusal to participate in SNAP funding/admin for November.) 2/
Show threadHeidi Li FeldmanNov 2
McConnell’s order rests on the same legal grounds as judge Talwani’s in the SNAP case brought by the states. McConnell concludes that the there are no reasonable grounds for the Trump regime to suspend SNAP funds for Nov, only arbitrary and capricious ones. Contingency money has been appropriated by Congress and other, discretionary funds are available. 3/
Show threadHeidi Li FeldmanNov 2
Along the way, McConnell’s order makes some noteworthy points. He rejects the regime’s claim that a good reason for its refusal to use appropriated contingency funds is that these only cover November partially, and it is too inconvenient for the regime to sort out partial funding. He observes that if this is true, the regime should just use additional available funds and wholly fund. 4/
Show threadHeidi Li FeldmanNov 2
Trump regime required to tell court by noon Monday its plan for complying with order. But I expect requests to stay the order before then. 5/5
Show threadCavyherdNov 2

@heidilifeldman

What are the consequences of the regime •not• complying with this order?

(This is my concern about the court orders: yes, lovely, thank you. But w/o actual consequences, what's their incentive to comply? Is it too much to hope that there's, like, jail time in the toolkit?)

Show threadMarisaNov 2
@cavyherd @heidilifeldman exactly my thought.
Show threadMartin Vermeer FCDNov 2
@heidilifeldman The balance of equities seems rather overwhelming here
Show threadNicole ParsonsNov 2

@heidilifeldman

Trump's regime has billionaire backers deeply opposed to the existence of any government funded societal benefit programs.

Billionaires live in fear of being required to contribute to society too.

Tim Mellon, Trump's largest donor, considers democracy itself a threat because of its universality & "group solutions to group problems" tactics.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/timothy-mellon-top-donor-to-trump-super-pac-used-racial-stereotypes-to-describe-african-americans-in-his-autobiography/2020/06/18/89206c5a-a742-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html

https://archive.ph/cgxLA

https://coloradonewsline.com/2022/10/10/odea-donor-mellon-gilded-age-slavery/

1/

Timothy Mellon, top donor to Trump super PAC, used racial stereotypes to describe African Americans in his autobiography

Mellon, whose family fortune dates to the Gilded Age, gave $30 million in just five months to support Trump and Republicans.

The Washington Post
Show threadNicole ParsonsNov 2

2/

Charles Koch is equally opposed to all racially integrated public goods.

Common benefits like public education should be reserved for wealthy whites like they used to be.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/27/koch-americans-for-prosperity-trump-tax-breaks

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/4/20835692/conservative-think-tank-foundation-for-government-accountability-food-stamps-snap-poverty-welfare

https://www.commondreams.org/news/koch-group-tax-cuts

Bradley, Koch, Coors, Scaife Mellon, Seid, Uihlein

The six main dynasties funding Project 2025 are all John Birch Society alumni; vehemently opposed to full civil rights for women, LGBTQ, POC, immigrants, seniors, children, the disabled.

Charles Koch’s network launches $20m campaign backing Trump tax breaks

Revealed: fossil fuel billionaire’s Americans for Prosperity vows ‘herculean undertaking’ to renew and deepen tax cuts

The Guardian
Show threadNicole ParsonsNov 2

3/
Bradley, Koch, Coors, Scaife Mellon, Seid, Uihlein

The six main dynasties funding Project 2025 are all John Birch Society alumni; vehemently opposed to full civil rights for women, LGBTQ, POC, immigrants, seniors, children, the disabled, workers, & taxpayers.

Their conduct now shows their hypocrisy.

They don't believe in free markets, freedom, free trade, or free expression.

Those things are supposed to be only for wealthy white men.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/23/koch-brothers-agenda-key-donations-promotions

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/inside-the-koch-brothers-toxic-empire-164403/

Five key ways the Koch brothers pushed their rightwing agenda

Charles and David Koch spent millions to promote conservative candidates and causes, provoking anger – and devotion

The Guardian
Show threadexcited for the mastodon riseNov 2
@Npars01 A billionaire anywhere is a threat to democracy everywhere.