New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) declared a state of emergency due to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program’s November 1 suspension.
“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 in a statement. “Unlike Washington Republicans, I won’t sit idly by as families struggle to put food on the table. 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.”
Hochul intends to commit an additional $65 million in state funds for emergency food assistance to provide an estimated 40 million meals to state residents.
The action comes as half of U.S. states filed a lawsuit over the program’s suspension.
Discussing the program on its website, the Department of Agriculture said: “Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance.”
