The basics:
- 800,000+ New Jersey residents risk losing SNAP food aid Nov. 1
- Federal shutdown halts USDA funding for SNAP, WIC programs
- State officials, food banks warn of surging food insecurity
- Lawmakers urge use of contingency funds to restore benefits
More than 800,000 New Jerseyans may soon struggle to afford food if the federal government shutdown drags on, according to state officials.
In an Oct. 24 online notice, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it will not issue Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits Nov. 1 if the stalemate persists.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” reads the statement, which also places blame on Democrats for the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history.
Often referred to as “food stamps,” SNAP serves roughly 42 million low-income Americans. The programs were safe last month because states received federal funding before the shutdown began Oct. 1.
Since states administer the federally funded program, the shutdown’s impact on SNAP and when benefits will start to dry up varies. According to the New Jersey Department of Health, local SNAP benefits are fully funded through Oct. 31. Meanwhile, the program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is funded through Nov. 10.
More than 800,000 residents in New Jersey rely on SNAP each month. Of those recipients, nearly 165,000 women and children depend on WIC benefits for healthy foods and nutritional support, the state said.
No contingency funds
Historically, when the federal government reopens, all federal programs receive retroactive funding. However, NJDOH said no such assurances have been made to-date.
The USDA’s notice comes after the Trump administration declined to tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep SNAP benefits flowing into November.
According to a USDA memo obtained by The Associated Press, federal officials say the contingency fund is reserved for things such as helping individuals in disaster areas. The document cited emerging Tropical Storm Melissa, which could become a major hurricane in the coming days. It said the storm serves as an example of why it’s important to have funds available to mobilize quickly in the event of a disaster, the outlet reported.
“We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for health care for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance,” the USDA wrote it its online notice.
Democrats have said they won’t vote for a continuing resolution to fund the federal government and end the shutdown until the Republican-controlled Congress agrees to extend pandemic-era Affordable Care Act subsidies.
‘A new and disgusting low’
New Jersey Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim are among 43 lawmakers who sent an Oct. 23 letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. The correspondence demands the administration support federal anti-hunger programs through November.
The senators called on Rollins to use contingency funding and other powers available to her as secretary to transfer money from other department programs to find the billions of dollars necessary to keep SNAP rolling.
“Trump is needlessly and cruelly using his government shutdown to inflict maximum pain on the American people, by refusing to provide the assistance that millions of hardworking Americans rely on to buy food for themselves and their families,” Booker said.
“We know that Trump has the resources to continue SNAP and other programs like WIC. Weaponizing food assistance is, simply put, a new and disgusting low.
“Americans should be able to afford food and health care, but this administration seems to want them to have neither. It is past time for Trump and Republicans to come to the negotiating table and work with Democrats to pass a government funding bill that will lower the catastrophic spike in health care costs Americans are facing and end Republicans’ government shutdown,” he said.
A day later, Booker held a virtual town hall with the leaders of New Jersey’s five largest food banks to discuss the fallout for residents if SNAP benefits lapse.
Growing need
Fred Wasiak, president and CEO of the Food Bank of South Jersey, said, “Right now, the Food Bank is serving more than 200,000 people each month – more than twice the pandemic – and the need will only continue to grow. SNAP is the cornerstone of our nation’s fight against hunger and, without it, the burden on families and food banks would be overwhelming.”
Community FoodBank of New Jersey President and CEO Elizabeth McCarthy shared, “In New Jersey, we’ve already seen food insecurity increase by 65% since the height of the pandemic in 2020. That’s nearly 1.1 million children, seniors, families, and veterans who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.”
In New Jersey, we’ve already seen food insecurity increase by 65% since the height of the pandemic in 2020. That’s nearly 1.1 million … who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
— Elizabeth McCarthy, president and CEO, Community FoodBank of New Jersey
“If our neighbors lose access to SNAP in November, that need could worsen even more dramatically. One thing we should all agree on, even in these polarizing times, is that no one should go hungry. Food is not a privilege — it’s a basic human need,” she went on.
Mark Valli, CEO of Norwescap, believes the cessation of SNAP benefits will have a ripple effect on other organizations. “[B]ecause people who can’t afford to feed themselves or their families are going to turn to nonprofit organizations for help with housing, child care, utilities, transportation, health care, etc., all of which are already operating under unsustainable levels.”
“SNAP is more than food, it is a foundational element of the American safety net, so a break in SNAP benefits will lead to a deluge of seemingly unrelated problems for our communities,” he said.
Bipartisan foundations
Triada Stampas, president and CEO of Fulfill NJ, added, “SNAP was created generations ago as a bipartisan commitment to all Americans that in this land of plenty, no one need go hungry. Ending hunger is a call to our shared humanity, and we urge our legislators to act with urgency to protect vital food assistance for our neighbors.”
“A shutdown may be temporary on paper, but its effects are immediate and real — families missing meals, seniors choosing between food and medicine. There is a human cost of inaction, and at Fulfill, we see it. We will continue to stand with our neighbors and together, do everything we can to make sure everyone has the food they need to thrive,” she said.
Additionally, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and a coalition of 23 attorneys general seek clarity and additional information on how USDA plans to proceed after alerting states that SNAP funding will soon freeze up. In an Oct. 24 letter to Rollins, the group also detailed the significant hardship for children, seniors and veterans who rely on food assistance for their daily meals.
“It is outrageous and cruel that the Trump Administration would allow this funding to end and endanger the lives of millions of Americans, including nearly a million people right here in New Jersey,” said Platkin. “Since the money is available to continue paying these benefits without any interruption, I can’t help but wonder what the true motivation is here for literally taking food away from our most vulnerable citizens.”
In case of emergency
According to a press release from Platkin’s office, the USDA sent an Oct. 10 memo to state agencies that it could not provide full benefits starting in November. The message also instructed states to withhold all payments for now.
The AG’s office went on to say, “In other words, without citing any legal authority or providing any reasoning, USDA prohibited states from sending already calculated November allotments to EBT vendors for processing. USDA does have some authority to reduce SNAP benefits or even suspend or cancel them under certain circumstances.
“However, USDA’s Oct. 10 letter does not indicate that any of the legal requirements to do so have been met.”
In addition, Congress appropriated at least $5 billion in SNAP contingency reserve funds to USDA for emergency situations like this, the press release said.
The attorneys general argue the federal government should use those funds – and any other available money – to continue providing SNAP benefits rather than direct states to suspend already-calculated allotments.
Furthermore, USDA also has access to Section 32 funds. These could also help provide SNAP benefits during the ongoing shutdown, the coalition believes.
