Governor Kathy Hochul is calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately release emergency funds and ensure millions of New Yorkers receive their November SNAP benefits, warning that any delay could trigger a hunger crisis just ahead of the holiday season.
In a strongly worded letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Hochul demanded that the USDA unlock federally authorized contingency funds after the agency issued a directive telling states not to distribute November benefits amid the ongoing government shutdown.
“Thousands of New Yorkers are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits come November 1,” Hochul said. “I’m calling on the Trump administration to release these essential funds and end the uncertainty for working families across this state.”
Nearly 3 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — each month. The Governor warned that failing to act would not only lead to food insecurity, especially for children, seniors, and people with disabilities, but would also harm the state’s economy, particularly in rural communities where local grocery stores and farmers markets depend on SNAP spending.
Hochul criticized the USDA’s lack of communication since issuing the no-benefits directive on October 10. She said the agency has yet to provide states with any path to access emergency funding — despite clear federal authority to do so.
“SNAP is not just a benefit. It’s a lynchpin in our economy and the moral backbone of our country,” Hochul wrote. “New Yorkers deserve your quick and decisive action.”
She also called on congressional Republicans to come to the negotiating table and end what she referred to as “chaos” caused by the ongoing shutdown.
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