“If forced to transfer funds to Snap to make full November allotments, there is no means for the government to recoup those expenditures – which is quintessential irreparable harm. Once those payments are made, there is every indication that the States will promptly disburse them. And once disbursed, the government will be un-able to recover any funds. Worse, these harms will only compound if the decision below stands.

“There is every reason to expect that if the shutdown lingers, the court below will not command the government to tap these funds again in December to support Snap – blowing a bigger hole in the budget for the child nutrition programs.”

This is absolute bullshit. Those funds have already been allocated by Congress in the 2023 Farm Bill. The money is already authorized for use for the next few years. They don’t need to “find it” somewhere else, or “get it back” at some future date. It is literally sitting ina find account, waiting to be used.

The only reason these benefits would be held up for any reason during a government shut down, is if the staff in charge of distributing that money are not currently working. That’s what the $6 billion emergency fund is for. Paying the federal employees needed to make sure that money gets to its pre-authorized destination.