In a concerted effort to address a looming crisis, all 43 Democratic legislators from Florida have urged Governor Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency in response to the anticipated cessation of funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
This plea comes as the nation grapples with the prolonged government shutdown, which threatens to cut off essential food aid to millions starting this Saturday.
"This is not speculation; its reality," emphasized the lawmakers, led by state House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell and state Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman, in their letter to the governor. "We are days away from a full-blown hunger emergency that will leave families without food during the holiday season. The state cannot stand by."
As reported by The Hill, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has highlighted that over 2.9 million Floridians, representing approximately 13 percent of the state's population, relied on SNAP benefits in fiscal year 2024. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that around 41.7 million individuals received SNAP benefits monthly during the same period. The legislators' letter implores Governor DeSantis to take decisive action by declaring a state of emergency on food insecurity. Such a declaration would empower state agencies to utilize resources from Florida's $1 billion Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund. It would also direct the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) to collaborate with local food banks and community partners to ensure aid distribution, and request the states Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to implement universal school meal programs for the duration of the shutdown.
"Florida has the fiscal strength to respond. Whats needed now is the moral will to act," the lawmakers asserted, urging the governor to leverage the state's financial resources to address the crisis.
The USDA, responsible for allocating SNAP funding, recently announced it would not tap into more than $5 billion in contingency funding to cover the estimated $9.2 billion needed for the upcoming month. The department maintains that these funds are reserved for unforeseen events, such as natural disasters, a stance that contradicts a previously published, now-deleted shutdown plan that indicated congressional mandates to use contingency funding during a shutdown.
As the end of October approaches, states are increasingly raising alarms. Florida's DCF, which oversees the state's SNAP program, has already informed beneficiaries that November benefits will be withheld until the funding impasse is resolved. However, the department has clarified that any remaining funds on beneficiaries' electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards will still be accessible.
When questioned about the availability of leftover benefits starting Saturday, DCF confirmed that "any existing SNAP benefits remain available for use."
Governor DeSantis, when confronted with the letter during a press conference, shifted the focus to the broader political landscape, questioning whether the Democratic lawmakers had also appealed to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to cease obstructing government spending.
This rhetorical maneuver underscores the ongoing political tensions surrounding the shutdown and the urgent need for bipartisan cooperation to resolve the crisis.
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