7 DAYS Since SNAP Funding Lapsed…Where is Mike Lawler?
66,000 New Yorkers in the 17th Congressional District Are At Risk of Going Hungry
NEW YORK — Today marks the seventh day since funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) lapsed amid the government shutdown, which is now in its second month. Because Congressman Mike Lawler and Republicans in Congress have been unwilling to come to the table and negotiate a deal to lower health care costs and reopen the government, working families across New York are now at risk of going hungry as critical food assistance dries up.
2.9 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP assistance to put food on the table each month, including more than 66,000 residents of New York’s 17th congressional district. Though a court has ordered the administration to distribute emergency funds, the fear and uncertainty have continued as President Trump tries to withhold payments and use the program as a bargaining chip, holding thousands of New York families hostage in the process.
It begs the question: Why isn’t Congressman Lawler pressuring the administration, which is fighting a court order, to fully fund food assistance benefits? Is it because he already voted for the largest cuts to SNAP in history?
“With the cost of groceries what they are, and tariffs making everything even worse, I don’t know how I’ll manage to put food on the table without my SNAP benefits,” said Lila Hines, a SNAP recipient from Peekskill. “Unfortunately, Republicans in Washington seem more than happy to use vulnerable people like me as a bargaining chip, hold our benefits for ransom until they get their way. Where’s Mike Lawler in all of this? I thought he was supposed to be looking out for people like me, but I guess not.”
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About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
