Ocasio-Cortez, Riley Lead Entire NY Democratic Delegation in Urging Trump Administration to Fund November SNAP Benefits

Letter follows the Trump Administration’s directive to let SNAP benefits expire for three million New Yorkers in less than 2 days

Washington, D.C. - Today, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Josh Riley (NY-19) led New York’s entire Democratic congressional delegation in writing to President Trump and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins urging them to ensure that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in New York state, and across the nation, receive their November benefits without delay.

“With less than two days before benefits are halted, we urge USDA to use SNAP’s available contingency funds to pay out November benefits, which would cover more than two-thirds of all benefits. USDA can then use its transfer authority, as it did for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), to cover the remaining gap and ensure benefits remain uninterrupted,” the lawmakers wrote. “Our offices stand ready to work with you to ensure our constituents continue to receive this critical federal food assistance without delay.”

The Trump Administration recently directed all states to hold on issuing November SNAP benefits, despite the availability of sufficient federal funding and the administration’s clear legal obligation to cover benefits. USDA’s now deleted shutdown plan clearly states that SNAP’s operations should continue since the program has contingency funds that can be used to ensure continuity of benefits during a government shutdown. Despite the administration’s claims that the “well has run dry,” USDA has both the funds and legal obligation to pay out SNAP benefits during a government shutdown. 

The full letter is available here.

SNAP is the nation’s largest and most successful anti-hunger program, serving low-income children, families, people with disabilities, veterans, and seniors. Without administrative action, starting November 1st, $640 million in SNAP benefits will be illegally withheld from three million New Yorkers who depend on the program to put food on the table. Failure to provide food assistance to New Yorkers will trigger an immediate hunger crisis across the state, which will disproportionately impact young children, seniors, and people with disabilities. This will mark the first time in the program’s history that SNAP benefits will be delayed.

In addition to Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Riley, the following members joined in signing: Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Representatives Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Tim Kennedy (NY-26), George Latimer (NY-16), John Mannion (NY-22), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Grace Meng (NY-06), Joe Morelle (NY-25), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Pat Ryan (NY-18), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07).

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