Pennsylvania is suing the USDA over cutting funding to a $1 billion food aid program for states
Source: AP
Updated 2:55 PM EDT, June 4, 2025
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday, saying the agency, under President Donald Trump, had illegally cut off funding to it through a program designed to distribute more than $1 billion in aid to states to purchase food from farms for schools, child care centers, and food banks.
The lawsuit in federal court, announced by Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, comes three months after the USDA advised states that it was ending the pandemic-era assistance program because it no longer reflected agency priorities. “I don’t get what the hell their priorities are if not feeding people and taking care of our farmers,” Shapiro said at a news conference at a food bank warehouse in Philadelphia.
The USDA declined comment Wednesday. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Harrisburg, asks the court to reverse the USDA’s decision to end the reimbursement program.
Shapiro’s administration, in the lawsuit, said the USDA’s termination of the contract was illegal, saying the USDA didn’t explain why it no longer reflected agency priorities and that the contract didn’t expressly allow the USDA to terminate it for those reasons.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-usda-farms-food-banks-schools-child-care-nutrition-trump-a770d4274526505bf6757e5f0c3def20
Link to PRESS RELEASE - Fighting for Pennsylvania Farmers: Governor Shapiro Files Lawsuit Against USDA’s Unlawful Termination of Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program
Link to SUIT (PDF) - https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/governor/documents/shapiro%20v.%20usda%20-%20complaint%20-%20exhibits.pdf
PA's (elected) AG is a (R) and obviously will do nothing, but our (D) governor, who used to be the AG, has been taking the bull by the horns for lawsuits (and joining with other (D) states when possible).
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