New Mexico is preparing to quickly distribute millions of dollars to food banks, as federal monthly food assistance benefits are expected to cease in November if the government shutdown continues.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Griusham said in a press release on Saturday that her administration is considering every legal and administrative option to address the situation and meet the needs of about 459,500 New Mexicans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food benefits. She added that means working to expedite the $8 million of additional funding for food banks approved during the recent special legislative session, but admitted those dollars will only cover a fraction of the $80 million to $90 million New Mexico receives in SNAP allotments each month.
“The best way to solve this crisis is for Congress to end this shutdown and do its job. Until then, New Mexico will do everything in our power to keep our families fed, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available,” Lujan Grisham said.
The governor’s office released the statement as the Trump administration has ordered states not to begin processing November SNAP benefits because of the inability of Congress to pass a continuing resolution. Lujan Grisham in her statement called the decision by the Trump administration as unconscionable and said that the federal government “has abandoned its responsibility to feed families.”
Congressional Democrats, including members of New Mexico’s delegation, have called for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use contingency funds and transfer money from other areas to cover the cost of SNAP benefits in November.
The USDA said Friday in a memo that those dollars are for food assistance in emergencies such as natural disasters and that using fund transfers will mean other programs will lose funding.
