New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency as nearly 1.8 million New Yorkers brace for cuts to federal SNAP food benefits starting Saturday.
Hochul announced $65 million in new state funding to support local food programs, promising no new taxes and no Albany recall as her administration scrambles to fill the gap.
The crisis stems from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s refusal to release federally approved contingency funds during the ongoing government shutdown — a move critics call a political ploy by the Trump Administration.
A growing legal battle now challenges the USDA’s decision, arguing the agency has access to over $6 billion Congress set aside to keep food assistance running during funding lapses, but has “unlawfully refused” to use it.