Washington’s policies may lead to increased hunger among children.

In New York, the prevailing ethos is one of shared well-being, prioritizing the welfare of families, children, and seniors across all neighborhoods. However, a growing crisis now looms as millions of residents desperately contemplate their ability to secure food for themselves and their families. This pressing issue stems from federal decisions to suspend food assistance programs that the government is legally obliged to maintain, contingent on the availability of funds.

This month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which currently aid over 40 million Americans, including nearly three million in New York alone. The implications of this decision are severe, as it translates into the stark reality of hunger for families across the state, from Brownsville to Buffalo. The result will likely be empty refrigerators, anxious parents, and children who may go to bed without food.

SNAP has been recognized as the most effective anti-hunger initiative in the history of the United States. The program was designed to function during crises such as this, ensuring no family faces the harrowing choice between maintaining shelter and having enough to eat. Despite Congress having allocated billions in contingency funds specifically to uphold this program, the federal government has chosen to withhold these necessary resources, an action that some interpret as a cruel disregard for vulnerable populations.

The issue at hand is not one of limited resources but of political resolve. While funding remains available, delays at the federal level continue, leaving children and families waiting for assistance. The repercussions of this pause in SNAP benefits are dire; parents may be forced to skip meals to ensure their children are fed, while students arrive at school unable to focus due to hunger. For many children, the meals provided at school may be their sole source of nutrition each day.

Moreover, seniors on fixed incomes are impacted as they witness their resources deplete, while small grocers in local neighborhoods face potential losses in business. The pervasive reality of hunger will not abate because of dysfunction in Congress. The cost of inaction is clear: a failure to address hunger exacerbates existing inequalities and undermines public trust in government.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, SNAP played a vital role in preventing millions from facing hunger, demonstrating the program’s effectiveness. Cutting off these benefits now would not only harm those in need but also deepen the socioeconomic divide.

New York officials and a coalition of 25 states, including the District of Columbia, are responding to this crisis by filing legal action against the federal government. The lawsuit aims to compel the USDA to activate the contingency funds already designated by Congress for the SNAP program. The law stipulates that all eligible households should receive SNAP benefits, irrespective of funding hurdles, as long as federal resources are available. Historically, no administration has withheld food assistance during critical budgetary disruptions.

The welfare of nearly one million children and over 600,000 seniors in New York hinges on this legal battle, and as the expiration of SNAP benefits approaches on November 1, the potential loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in food assistance could place immense strain on community food resources. The implications of these developments highlight the urgent need to prioritize human dignity and address hunger as a universal concern, transcending partisan boundaries. Advocates, alongside state leadership, vow to ensure no New Yorker is left without adequate access to food. The fight against hunger will continue unabated, underscoring a collective commitment to uphold the rights of every citizen to live without fear of starvation.