WA sues USDA for illegally holding hostage billions in critical funding

# Washington Sues USDA Over Conditional Funding Requirements

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown joined 20 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture on March 23, 2026, challenging the agency's imposition of new funding conditions on critical nutrition and agricultural programs. The coalition argues that USDA has threatened to withhold billions in federal funding if states do not comply with vague requirements relating to immigration, diversity, equity and inclusion, and gender identity policies.

The lawsuit targets conditions adopted by USDA effective December 31, 2025, that require states to comply with Trump administration policies without clearly identifying which specific policies must be followed. The litigation seeks to block USDA from enforcing these conditions on programs including SNAP, WIC, school lunch programs, and emergency food assistance. In Washington alone, these programs serve approximately 900,000 SNAP recipients monthly and over 212,000 WIC participants annually.

The attorneys general allege USDA violated the Spending Clause by imposing coercive conditions without clear notice and violated the Administrative Procedure Act by acting arbitrarily and beyond its statutory authority. Brown stated that threatening to withhold food assistance from vulnerable families during an affordability crisis is "heartless—and against the law."