State Sen. Monica R. Martinez is praising New York’s decision to declare a state of emergency, which allows the state to temporarily provide emergency food assistance to New Yorkers at risk of losing federally funded SNAP benefits because of Washington’s shutdown.  The anti-hunger program, which serves 41.7 million Americans, including nearly 3 million New Yorkers, is expected to suspend benefits beginning Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, as a result of the ongoing budget impasse.

On Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a series of emergency measures to address the loss of federal food assistance affecting residents enrolled in SNAP beginning Nov. 1. The state is committing $65 million in new funds to provide roughly 40 million meals through food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, and nutrition assistance programs, including $40 million for the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program and $25 million for Nourish NY, which distributes surplus agricultural products to those in need. Additionally, the state is deploying SUNY Empire State Service Corps members to support food banks and create short-term crisis response positions to help address staffing shortages, while maintaining a new website to connect New Yorkers with food assistance resources.

“Millions of Americans will soon face the unthinkable reality of going hungry because of the choices their leaders in Washington are making,” said Sen. Martinez.  “New York State has decisively stepped forward to fill the gap left by this partisan bickering and to shield our neighbors from starvation, but this support is only temporary.  Federal officials must act before the nation endures suffering not seen since the Great Depression.  A government that allows its people to go hungry abandons both its duty and the moral standards that define it as a just society.”

According to data from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, in Senate District 4:

• Approximately 26,597 households and more than 45,000 individuals rely on SNAP benefits.
• More than 16,400 households and over 11,000 individuals rely on HEAP benefits.
• Approximately 1,340 households and more than 2,500 individuals rely on public assistance.

All of these programs and more have been impacted by the Washington shutdown, now in its 31st day, leaving beneficiaries and thousands of federal employees without pay and struggling to get by.