New York Gov. Hochul held a rally on Monday, Oct. 27, with New Yorkers impacted by what were described as Washington Republicans’ “devastating cuts to health care, food assistance and other critical programs.” State officials said with nearly three million New Yorkers at risk of losing the food assistance they usually receive through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) starting Saturday, Nov. 1, due to the Republican-led federal government shutdown, the governor announced the same day she is also fast-tracking $30 million in State funds to support over 16 million meals.

 

They said this additional funding follows Hochul’s announcement last week of more than $11 million to support local emergency food relief. They said the governor’s funding announcements come as federal administrators at the USDA refused to unlock the federal funding needed to ensure SNAP recipients receive their November food assistance. They said this would mark the first time in U.S. history that a federal administration has stopped food assistance during a government shutdown.

 

“I am doing everything in my power to soften the blow of the destruction Republicans in Washington are inflicting on our state,” Hochul said. “While I’ve said repeatedly that no state can backfill these devastating cuts, I am committed to ensuring New Yorkers do not go hungry this holiday season and am taking action to support the families suffering the consequences of Republicans’ cruelty. Republicans in Congress voted to rip health care and vital services from millions of New Yorkers and my administration and the people of New York will continue holding them accountable.”

 

On Monday, the governor also launched a new website where everyday New Yorkers can share their personal stories about the effects of federal cuts to health care, food assistance and other critical programs. State officials said the new website, ny.gov/federalcuts, breaks down the impacts on regions across the state and includes relevant resources available to New Yorkers affected by the cuts.

 

On Sunday night, Oct. 26, Hochul had joined Democratic mayoral nominee and frontrunner Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (A.D. 36) for a final campaign rally in Queens on the second day of early voting amid the mayoral general election. Mamdani’s core campaign theme is affordability.

 

Meanwhile, State officials said the so-called “Big Ugly Bill,” which U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican, calls the Big Beautiful Bill, stripped nearly two million New Yorkers of their health coverage, and is anticipated to result in more than 300,000 households losing SNAP food assistance. They said on top of this, the White House is “capitalizing on the uncertainty of the government shutdown to create even more chaos.”

They said unless the Trump Administration and Washington Republicans act to end the government shutdown or backfill critical programs, beginning on Nov. 1, New Yorkers face what they said would be devastating cuts to food assistance, skyrocketing health care premiums, and a loss of other critical programs like heating assistance.

 

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Republicans in Congress had needlessly shut down the government, and were refusing to work with Democrats to maintain the benefits that put food on the table for millions of New Yorkers. “As families across New York face crushing health care costs driven by Trump administration policies that only benefit the wealthiest Americans, House Republicans have left Washington on a taxpayer-funded vacation,” she said. “It’s time for them to get back to work and finally start partnering with Democrats to lower costs for working families.”

 

In terms of numbers impacted, State officials said that nearly three million New Yorkers who rely on SNAP each month to feed themselves and their families may not receive their SNAP benefits in November, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. They said 140,000 New Yorkers will see their health care premiums skyrocket by nearly 40 percent. 

 

They went on to say that funds for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) are delayed making it harder for more than 1.5 million New Yorkers to afford their utility bills and keep warm as temperatures begin to drop and winter approaches. They added that early education is also in jeopardy across the State with a lack of federal funding to support Head Start programs, and critical infrastructure projects and jobs will also be put at risk with cuts to infrastructure and security funding. 

Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15) said that in The Bronx, SNAP is not an abstract policy, but the difference between hunger and stability for over 150,000 families. “When Republicans in Washington threaten to cut food assistance, they are threatening to take meals off the tables of children, seniors, and working parents in communities like mine.” He said he was grateful to the governor for fighting to protect New Yorkers from what he described as the cruelty of the federal cuts and for standing with those who have the least.

 

Meanwhile, State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) said the governor’s announced new portal would give New Yorkers the opportunity to share their stories of what he described as the devastating impacts of Trump’s HR1 cuts. “Millions of New Yorkers are about to see their healthcare and energy costs significantly increase,” the senator said. “Families will lose SNAP benefits that they rely on to buy groceries. Our state will need to step up to lessen the impact of these egregious cuts and support constituents who have been betrayed by Washington Republicans.”

 

State officials said that if you are a New York State resident who uses SNAP, you will be notified by Nov. 1 of any official updates regarding the status of your November benefits.

 

In response to the governor’s announcement, The Legal Aid Society released the following statement. “While we appreciate Governor Hochul’s efforts to keep New Yorkers fed, Albany must do more to protect the more than 3 million households that rely on SNAP,” Legal Aid officials said. “Albany should follow the lead of other states, including Louisiana, Vermont, and Virginia, that have acted to maintain SNAP benefits despite federal disruptions. New York can and must do the same.”

 

The statement continued, “We call on Governor Hochul to allocate up to $650 million in State funds to ensure full SNAP benefits in November. The State has both financial means and the responsibility to prevent families from going hungry. As the federal government undermines essential food and healthcare programs, New York must lead with courage and compassion. Deploying state resources now will protect millions of residents who depend on these benefits to meet their most basic needs.”

 

As reported, in 2020, New York Gov. Letitia James blocked the Trump administration’s changes to the SNAP program. As also reported, James was recently indicted by the federal government on mortgage fraud, a charge she denies, and believes is politically motivated retribution by the president.

 

As reported, local nonprofit Part of the Solution (POTS), located in both the Bedford Park and Fordham Manor sections of The Bronx, has stepped up amid the federal shutdown and bolstered its services and advocacy efforts to help those most affected. POTS officials said the organization is adding additional pantry distributions to ensure families can continue to access nutritious food. For more on this topic, click here.