WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said in a Monday court filing that it will send out partial payments to the tens of millions of Americans who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits – but not all of the normal funds for families relying on the resource.

The administration said it would "fulfill its obligation to expend" funds during an emergency, using a reserve to cover "50% of eligible households’ current allotments."

As the showdown over the essential program played out over the weekend, President Donald Trump had called on Democrats to abandon a push for expanded health care subsidies to be included in the spending agreement on Sunday evening and vote for GOP-backed legislation to reopen the government.

Voting for the short-term Republican bill, which wo

See Full Page