Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Monday that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) contingency funds are not “legally available” to cover benefits during the shutdown.

At a press conference, Johnson cited a legal analysis from the Trump administration that argued the emergency funds cannot be used to cover the lapse in funding set to take effect next month, since the funds are “finite” and must previously have been appropriated for use.

“I got a summary of the whole legal analysis, and it certainly looks legitimate to me,” Johnson told a reporter when asked whether the administration should tap into the billions of dollars in reserve, earmarked by Congress to fund SNAP in emergencies.

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