EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) — Despite a federal judge’s ruling to fund SNAP benefits by Wednesday, the president said he will partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that feeds tens of millions of people. Debbie Banner has eight children and relies on food assistance to feed her family. On Monday, she got hot meals from a soup kitchen in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. “Now that the benefits is cut, I can’t go to the supermarket because I don’t have no benefits for it,” said Banner, a SNAP recipient.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James was in Brooklyn helping to hand out warm meals to families.
“They tell me that it’s going to take 10 to 12 days to upload the federal funds so that individuals can purchase food,” James said. Last week, James and 25 other state attorneys general sued the federal government to keep funding SNAP benefits.
Given the long shutdown, money ran out at the beginning of November.
The court ruled the federal government must continue SNAP payments with its contingency fund.
The Trump administration has said they will comply, but only at 50% and it will take time to refill so many SNAP cards.
There are currently 1.8 million recipients in New York City alone.
Ali McKinnon had been sharing peanut butter and tuna fish with other men at a shelter and is grateful he will get some money for groceries again.
“I blame both sides, Democrats and Republicans, because they had a chance to come to agreement before, but they didn’t do it,” McKinnon said.
Recipients who spoke to Eyewitness News said some assistance is better than none, but want the government to get back to business. “I think is ridiculous, is immature and is really, really bad. I’m hoping it doesn’t last long because it affects a lot of homes and a lot of people, especially those that aren’t working,” one recipient said.
