Food aid in the United States is set to lapse on Saturday amid the ongoing government shutdown, affecting the millions of Americans who rely on nutrition assistance programmes.
In response, New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, declared a state of emergency to free up funds and issue US$65 million in assistance to food banks.
“The Trump Administration is cutting food assistance off for three million New Yorkers, leaving our state to face an unprecedented public health crisis and hurting our grocers, bodegas and farmers along the way,” Hochul said.
Today, I’m declaring a state of emergency and am committing additional state funds for emergency food assistance to ensure New Yorkers don’t go hungry.
“Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have the power to stop this crisis — millions of families depend on it.”
Virginia and Oregon have also announced states of emergency to release cash towards food assistance programs as the shutdown endangers Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for nearly 42 million people.
Louisiana, New Mexico and Vermont also said they would provide help for low-income households that rely on food stamps to eat.
New York state receives around US$650 million in federal funding for SNAP benefits each month, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Trump administration and Congress have both neglected to fund the November SNAP benefits, which cost about US$8 billion per month.
Most states, including New York, aren’t able to afford the benefits themselves.
Democratic governors have sent a letter to President Donald Trump demanding the USDA draw on contingency funds and other sources to fund November benefits.
“Halting SNAP benefits will put millions of Americans at risk of food insecurity and poverty. Snap is more than a food assistance program; it is a lifeline,” the letter said.
The shutdown has lasted 29 days, making it the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history. The longest lasted 35 days in late 2018 into early 2019, during Trump’s first term as president.
