New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) declared a state of emergency on Thursday as 2.9 million New Yorkers are set to lose crucial SNAP benefits this week because of the government shutdown.
The big picture: Some 42 million people across the U.S. will lose safety net nutrition assistance if lawmakers in Washington don't strike a deal to end the shutdown or find a stopgap measure to extend the benefits.
- New York, Delaware, Rhode Island, Virginia and Maryland have declared the impending crisis a state of emergency.
- State officials have allocated millions to offset the lapse of federal benefits, while acknowledging it is a fraction of what is needed.
- Food banks nationwide are bracing for a crush of demand.
Driving the news: Hochul committed $65 million in new state funds for emergency food assistance.
- "No state, including our own, can backfill the money because I'm going to tell you a number. $650 million every month is what we get from the federal government — our people do — for SNAP programs," Hochul said on Thursday.
- "We can't backfill that, but we have some strategies."
- Hochul also condemned the Trump administration, saying "it's immoral for people to suffer because Republicans will not unleash the food emergency funds that are sitting there."
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Thursday declared a state of emergency and issued an executive order that will provide $10 million in emergency funding to the state's food security partners.
- "Withholding funding from food assistance is not just illegal, it's also cruel," Moore said in a statement.
- Also Thursday, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser authorized the use of local funds — $1 million of direct benefits and $500,000 of grants to nonprofits — to help fill the gap.
Catch up quick: The Agriculture Department said last week that it can't use contingency funds to pay for food stamps during the government shutdown — and that states won't be reimbursed if they cover the expenses on their own.
- Several states have said that they can't use their own emergency funds without a guarantee of reimbursement.
Zoom out: Despite that, other states are trying to fill the gap.
- Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer (D) directed the state's budget office to allocate and transfer money "as necessary" to fund SNAP.
- Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) allocated up to $6 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for "over 20,000 eligible families with children," about 65,000 people out of the 145,000 state residents enrolled in SNAP.
- Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) also declared a state of emergency — slamming Democrats in his announcement.
- Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) said that the state will fund the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance program to temporarily replace SNAP during the lapse. He estimated it would cost about $37.5 million per week to cover the 850,000 people in the state who rely on the federal program.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) did not declare a state of emergency, but he announced $80 million in state support to fill the SNAP gap.
- Newsom also said that he will deploy the California National Guard under his command and California Volunteers to support food banks.
- Food banks were told last Thursday that 100% of their grant is immediately available on a cash-advance basis, per Newsom's office.
Florida Democrats on Tuesday asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency.
- Over 2.9 million Florida residents are enrolled in SNAP, making the state the fourth-highest SNAP recipient, according to the latest USDA data.
- DeSantis, when questioned about the letter during a Wednesday press conference, asked whether the lawmakers also sent one to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) "asking him to stop filibustering the [government] spending."
What we're watching: 25 Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration this week to force it to resume SNAP payments.
- The suit alleges the USDA's move violates the Food and Nutrition Act, which requires "assistance under [SNAP] must be furnished to all eligible households" who apply.
- "It is States that operate SNAP on the ground and are forced into the position of trying to explain to needy, hungry people ... why they will not be receiving the benefits they have been promised, despite the availability of funds and the federal government's decisions to fund other programs during this shutdown," the filing said.
Go deeper: Trump purposefully halting SNAP benefits, "weaponizing hunger," Democrats allege
April Rubin contributed reporting.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional developments.
