ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Attorney General Letitia James has joined a lawsuit accusing the federal government of illegally planning to pause food assistance benefits amid the government shutdown.
SNAP benefits are expected to pause for over 40 million Americans if there’s no deal to fund the government by Saturday, Nov. 1. More than 100,000 people in Monroe County rely on SNAP, according to a state report from July.
The leaders of 25 states and D.C. are suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture, saying failing to issue November’s SNAP benefits would violate federal law and leave families hungry. James says the USDA is legally required to continue providing benefits as long as it has funding and the agency has access to billions of dollars in contingency funds that Congress has already set aside. The state leaders are asking the court to intervene before SNAP expires.
On its website, the USDA blamed Senate Democrats for the looming pause to SNAP, saying: “Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bottom line, the well has run dry.”
SNAP is considered the nation’s largest anti-hunger program. Children and older adults make up nearly 60% of all SNAP recipients.
Foodlink, the Rochester-based regional foodbank that supports meal programs across the 10-county region, has been preparing for weeks for an increase in demand, said Communications Director Mark Dwyer. If you’re in need of a meal, you can see of list of resources in this story.
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