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New Yorkers panicked Saturday as their SNAP benefits officially ran out — making the prospect of going hungry very real for millions, as the government shutdown approached its second month.
Cash-strapped shoppers tried to stretch their dough as best they could as they faced the reality of shopping without government assistance, after Senate Democrats blocked a government funding bill 13 times in six weeks — keeping the critical food program offline.
“SNAP is the backbone of the urban bread basket. When you choke that, you choke everything, everybody,” Shamika Hough told The Post as he shopped for his family at E & Y Deli in the Bronx Saturday morning.
Sausages and orange juice at the supermarket cost him $28 — a hardship since the personal care assistant was already stretching a $500 monthly allowance to cover his family of four and their dog, saying he could usually only make it last three weeks.
Hough, 41, was hoping the benefits would roll in for the month, but his balance read zero when he checked it that morning.
“I’m going to the pantry on Wednesday. I went there last week. I get up at 5 a.m. to get a spot and then my wife comes and I get to go to work. The line is long. It’s around the corner,” he said.
“We don’t waste anything. Canned foods go a long way. My wife rations the food – she cooks for several days at a time and this was before they cut SNAP, so it really helps.”
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as food stamps, was expected to run out of funding this weekend amid the ongoing government shutdown — leaving an estimated 42 million people across the US, 3 million in New York , and at least 1.75 million in Gotham wondering how they will pay for their next meal.
On Friday, federal judges in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts issued temporary orders ruling that the Trump administration must continue administering benefits, with Boston’s US District Judge Indira Talwani calling the suspension “unlawful.”
The administration said it didn’t want to tap the fund for about $5 billion for the program, but Democratic officials are claiming that it must be used during the shutdown.
The Trump administration did not immediately reveal whether it would appeal the two orders. Both judges asked for progress reports by Monday.
The President posted Friday night following the dueling court rulings that he had instructed his lawyers to ask “how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible,” saying it would be an “honor to provide the funding.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a “food emergency” across the state Thursday and funneled $65 million for food pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency food providers that needy New Yorkers will be forced to turn to during the absence of SNAP.
“Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Saturday launched a fundraiser to benefit the Elmcor, RAP4Bronx and City Harvest food pantries, which announced they would be increasing their capacity to accommodate SNAP beneficiaries.
Tatiana Harris, 38, was on her way to a food distribution truck on Saturday because her $298 in monthly SNAP benefits were never delivered.
“I don’t have any food in my house at all. I have a dog and I have no idea what I’m going to do if I have no food for him,” Harris, 38, who is unemployed and HIV-positive, said, adding that because of the weekend, she has no one at the benefits center she could call for help.
Here's what we know about the government shutdown
- The Trump administration revealed in a court filing that more than 4,000 federal workers were fired on October 10 as a result of the ongoing partial government shutdown.
- The bulk of the layoffs took place at the Treasury Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, where approximately 1,446 and up to 1,200 employees, respectively, were fired, according to reports.
- Airports across the country have experienced delays this week because of a shortage of controllers.
- President Trump said on October 11 that he would use his authority as commander in chief to pay military troops despite the government shutdown.
- The shutdown began on Oct. 1 after Democrats rejected a short-term funding fix and demanded that the bill include an extension of federal subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
“I’m waiting until Monday to see what happens. I am hoping something happens. This cannot continue.”
Laura Diaz, 45, was left wondering how she would get her 5-year-old son through the winter without their SNAP benefits as she shopped in Antillana Superfood Marketplace in the Bronx.
The pair receives $180 per month, which she sometimes uses to supplement their rent and other bills.
“I have a growing son. I have to feed him. Right now, I’ll go without to make sure he eats,” said Diaz, who cleans houses for a living.
“I’m going to reduce what I give him for lunch or I will have to work more hours.”
The SNAP crisis was sparked after Democrats refused to drop their demands to extend ObamaCare subsidies due to expire at the end of this year.
“Democrats have instigated a disgusting dereliction of duty unlike anything I have seen in all my years doing this work,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Friday at a Capitol Hill press conference with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
“We, the poor people, are suffering the consequences. They are living their same lives but us — the poor people — our lives have been disrupted,” said Diaz, who cleans houses for a living and blamed both Dems and GOPers.
“I think about the people who can’t work. What are they going to do?”
One senior citizen, who declined to share her name, indicated she only had enough savings to get through November without government assistance.
“Me getting mad makes it worse. I’m disappointed but I have to keep a positive attitude or I’ll crash out and lose my mind,” the woman, 66, said.
“We definitely need it and what they are doing is wrong.”
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