New York declares state of emergency to fund food banks as federal food aid set to lapse

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By Leah Douglas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday declared a state of emergency to issue $65 million for assistance to food banks as federal funding for the national food stamp program is set to lapse on November 1.

Oregon and Virginia have also issued emergency declarations to free up funds for emergency food assistance as the federal government shutdown imperils Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for nearly 42 million Americans. 

The money will go to food banks and pantries, already under strain.

New York receives nearly $650 million in federal funding for SNAP benefits each month, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Neither Congress nor the administration of President Donald Trump has acted to fund November SNAP benefits, which cost about $8 billion per month.

Most states, including New York, have said they cannot afford to pay the benefits themselves. The Legal Aid Society on Thursday said New York does have the means to fund SNAP and should draw on state resources to do so.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has said the state will draw on surplus funds to pay for up to a month of SNAP benefits. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek on Wednesday pledged $5 million to food banks and declared a 60-day food security emergency. 

Twenty-one Democratic governors on Thursday sent a letter to Trump demanding that 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.

Twenty-four Democratic states and governors and the District of Columbia sued the administration this week to issue the contingency funds and appeared Thursday before a federal judge in Boston.

(Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Aurora Ellis)