Gov. Kathy Hochul accused the Trump Administration of deliberately withholding SNAP benefits from roughly 3 million New Yorkers after the Department of Agriculture claimed earlier this month that there would not be enough funding to cover the entirety of SNAP benefits in November if the ongoing government shutdown continues.
In a letter to all regional SNAP directors dated October 10, SNAP Development Director Sasha Gersten-Paal stated that there would be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for the 42 million Americans currently enrolled in the program “if the current lapse in appropriations continues.”
The government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1 when Republicans — who control both chambers of Congress — failed to get enough Democrats to support a resolution to keep the government open, has resulted in the furlough of more than 700,000 federal employees and threatened funding for a wide range of federal programs.
Hochul, however, accused President Donald Trump of deliberately withholding SNAP benefits from New Yorkers, describing the move as an “unprecedented decision intended to inflict pain on millions of hardworking American families.”
She further accused the Trump Administration of indicating to New York that it will not allow states to distribute federal funding for SNAP recipients. Since SNAP is a federal program, states cannot unilaterally backfill the program without federal approval.
There are approximately 3 million SNAP recipients in New York State, with around 1.4 million of them residing in New York City.
Hochul has now called on “Washington Republicans” to ensure that the program remains fully funded throughout November in order to prevent families across the state and the US from going hungry.
“I’m outraged that Washington Republicans are deliberately withholding federal funding from millions of New Yorkers who rely on SNAP to put food on the table,” Hochul said in a statement issued Thursday.
She further described the move as a “cruel, senseless act” and accused the Trump Administration of carrying out a politically motivated punishment that it has the power to avoid.
“Lives depend on this, and Washington Republicans need to stop playing games. Release this federal funding right now and let states get this money to families to ensure they don’t go hungry,” Hochul continued.
Torres calls it mobster tactics
U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres also condemned the Trump Administration over the move, accusing Trump of acting like a “mobster” by “threatening” New York families.
“Nice food assistance you’ve got there. It would be a shame if something happened to your ability to feed your children,” Torres said in a satirical post on X criticizing the President.
U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez, who represents parts of Queens and Brooklyn in the 7th Congressional District, said more than 146,000 people rely on SNAP in her district alone and accused Trump of holding benefits “hostage.”
“For the Trump administration and Washington Republicans to hold these benefits hostage during a shutdown of their own making is unconscionable,” Velázquez said in a statement.
Velázquez called on the Trump Administration to restore SNAP benefits for November and further called on Republicans to “come to the table” and end the ongoing shutdown.
“Families shouldn’t have to worry about whether they can afford groceries because of political games in Washington. Republicans must act to restore these critical benefits immediately and come to the table to end this shutdown.”
U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, representing the 5th Congressional District in Queens, also outlined how the news would impact his own district, stating that 133,262 constituents are currently SNAP recipients. Meeks blamed Congressional Republicans for the ongoing shutdown and accused his opponents of refusing to make healthcare more affordable.
“Food assistance fights hunger, keeps families healthy, and provides stability for seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities. Instead of agreeing to make healthcare more affordable and reopen the the government, Republicans would rather target families’ refrigerators and pantries,” Meeks said in a statement.
Barbara Guinn, New York’s Commissioner of Temporary and Disability Assistance, described SNAP as the most effective hunger prevention program in the country and stated that halting monthly benefits would be unprecedented. She added that such a move would have a “devastating” impact on the approximately 3 million New Yorkers who rely on the program.
“SNAP recipients, most of whom are children, older adults, or disabled, count on SNAP every month to feed their families,” Guinn said. “The federal government must act now to provide the necessary funding for SNAP benefits so that the millions of Americans and New Yorkers who depend on it are not allowed to become the casualties of a budget fight.”
However, U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the sole Republican representative in New York City, said Hochul should instead focus her energy on New York’s two Democratic Senator’s Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who have both repeatedly voted against a Republican resolution to reopen the government.
Malliotakis argued that the Republican’s continuing resolution is identical to a resolution that Democrats negotiated last year, stating that they have subsequently voted to extend the resolution a further three times. Democrats, however, argue that the current resolution differs from previous iterations because it will allow Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire at the end of the year.
Malliotakis also praised Trump for funding the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) supplemental program, which she stated would have been otherwise “completely depleted.”
She also fired shots at Senate Democrats for failing to provide seven votes for the resolution.
“Let’s remember why we are in a government shutdown to begin with: Senate Democrats won’t provide the seven votes necessary so we have 60 votes to pass the funding bill in the Senate,” Malliotakis said. “It’s time for them to do the right thing and vote to reopen the government and Governor Hochul should have the courage to call them out for their shutdown shenanigans.”
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, however, blamed the Republicans for the ongoing shutdown, stating that Democrats are voting against the resolution because it will cause healthcare costs to increase.
Meng said news of a halt in SNAP funding was “pouring salt in the wound” at a time when residents are struggling with an affordability crisis. She also criticized Congressional Republicans for supporting “deep cuts” to SNAP by voting in favor of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill over the summer, which expands work requirements for SNAP benefits and makes states responsible for some of the costs related to the program.
“I believe we should be strengthening SNAP, which is a lifeline for so many in Queens and across the nation,” Meng said in a statement. “I once again call for Republicans to end their government shutdown and restore the deep cuts they made to SNAP over the summer. Nobody in our borough or anywhere in New York or throughout the country should ever go hungry.”
The White House has yet to respond to a request for comment.
