Governor Hochul Calls on Secretary of Agriculture Rollins to Ensure New Yorkers Receive November SNAP Benefits

Governor Hochul today penned a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins calling on the USDA to take immediate action to ensure SNAP recipients receive their November benefits. As the shutdown continues, come November 1, millions of New Yorkers will lose access to the nutrition assistance they need to feed themselves and their households - and our economy will be hurt as businesses throughout the food supply chain, including farmers and small businesses, feel the residual effects. Governor Hochul is calling on Secretary Rollins to use her power to fund SNAP and prevent a public health crisis.

"As the GOP government shutdown continues, thousands of New Yorkers are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits come November 1," Governor Hochul said. "I am calling on the Trump administration to guarantee these essential funds so that New Yorkers can continue to put food on the table, and I urge Washington Republicans - including the seven from New York - to actually stand up for their constituents, come to the negotiating table and end this uncertainty and chaos."

The Governor's letter comes as SNAP access has already been attacked by the Big Ugly bill, which is anticipated to strip over 300,000 New York households of their SNAP benefits.

Read the full text of the letter below:

Dear Secretary Rollins,

SNAP is the largest and most effective anti-hunger program in the nation. Nearly 3 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP each month, most of whom are older adults, disabled or children.

Following USDA's disturbing and unprecedented directive that states not issue federally-funded SNAP benefits in November, USDA has still not taken any steps to ensure that millions of SNAP beneficiaries will be able to access the assistance they need to feed themselves. No state has received information from USDA since issuance of this directive on October 10.

Federal statute authorizes the use of contingency funds to issue SNAP benefits in emergencies. However, USDA has so far refused to provide information about these funds or how states can access federal contingency funds. I urge USDA to use every authority at your disposal and take immediate action to release statutorily-authorized contingency funds, so that states can begin the process of issuing November benefits as soon as possible. New Yorkers should not go hungry when a legal and funded remedy is available, particularly when you have directed USDA to ensure other functions, such as Farm Service Agencies, remain open.

If millions of New Yorkers and millions more Americans are unable to access the food assistance they need come November, states must convey to SNAP beneficiaries immediately that benefits may be delayed or diminished. Without direction from USDA, millions of Americans risk food insecurity during the holiday season.

In addition, SNAP also serves as a critical driver of our economy, particularly in our rural communities. USDA's own research has shown that every dollar in issued SNAP benefits generates over $1.50 in economic activities, as recipients spend their benefits in local communities, including grocery stores, farmers markets, and small businesses. Beyond causing hunger for millions of people, holding SNAP benefits hostage will harm an already fragile economy, especially for many of our small businesses and rural producers who will experience reduced revenue.

Moreover, states must take many steps to ensure SNAP clients receive their benefits in a timely manner. States continue to accept SNAP applications, verify eligibility, help new clients enroll, and work with external vendors to load federal SNAP benefits to clients' cards. However, the longer USDA takes to release funds, the more we risk SNAP clients facing empty cupboards come November 1. Both practically and fiscally, states are not able to fill this gap, as SNAP benefits have always been federally funded. We do not have the resources nor the mechanism to backfill the largest federal anti-hunger program in the nation. Since President Trump took office and began defunding federal programs like SNAP and healthcare, governors have been sounding the alarm that no state has the financial means to step in where the federal government is failing.

Madam Secretary, as a long-standing leader on agriculture and food access, you know full well that SNAP is not merely a benefit to be paid to those in need. It is a lynchpin in our economy, it is the moral backbone of our country and New Yorkers deserve your quick and decisive action to ensure benefits are not arbitrarily and unnecessarily upheld.

Contact the Governor's Press Office