Approximately 41.7 million Americans, including three million New Yorkers, could soon find themselves without critical food assistance as the federal government shutdown continues.
On Oct. 30, Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in New York, committing an additional $65 million in state funds to support food banks, pantries, and other emergency food providers, expecting to cover about 40 million meals.
On Oct. 31, a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to release billions of dollars in contingency funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) so that payments can continue. In Massachusetts, a federal judge found that the USDA’s refusal to use its contingency fund for the benefit payments is likely unlawful. She ordered the USDA to decide within days how it will proceed…