Arizona to Provide $1.8 Million in Aid to Support Low-Income Residents Amid Federal SNAP Benefit Suspension
Arizona will provide $1.8 million in aid to help low-income residents who rely on federal food assistance after their benefits were suspended by the Trump administration on November 1. Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, announced on Wednesday that she would disburse $1.5 million in leftover American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) COVID relief funds to Arizona food banks. Additionally, she allocated $300,000 toward an emergency fresh food program called Food Bucks Now.
The ARPA funds were initially allocated to the Arizona Department of Administration for essential government functions, according to Hobbs’ spokesman, Christian Slater.
“It is appalling that the Trump administration is choosing to withhold food from vulnerable Arizona families, using them as leverage in their political games,” Hobbs said in a statement. “The State of Arizona does not have the money to backfill the disastrous decisions being made by Washington Republicans, but I am taking every action possible to mitigate the damage done to everyday people in our state.”
This announcement comes as the beginning of November approaches, the usual time for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to be loaded onto cards for beneficiaries to purchase groceries.
Government Shutdown and SNAP Benefit Suspension
The federal government has been shut down since October 1, after Democrats refused to vote for a Republican stopgap funding bill unless it included a continuation of popular Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance tax credits, which were set to expire. Without these credits, health insurance premiums for plans on the ACA exchange are expected to increase significantly. However, Republicans have falsely accused Democrats of holding out for free medical care for undocumented immigrants.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initially stated in a September 30 plan that it would use $6 billion from a SNAP-specific contingency fund to cover most of the November benefits for the 42 million Americans relying on the program. But on October 24, the USDA reversed course, stating that using those funds would be illegal, despite having done so during previous government shutdowns.
Senate Democrats attempted to introduce a bill on Wednesday to continue SNAP funding for November, but Republicans blocked it.
Legal Action and State Responses
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, also a Democrat, together with attorneys general from 20 other states, filed a lawsuit against the USDA on Tuesday aiming to compel the federal government to fund and release November benefits.
Mayes, who has joined other Democratic attorneys general in 29 lawsuits challenging the Trump administration this year, also called on Governor Hobbs to take further action. While Hobbs had expressed concerns that neither the state nor food banks had adequate resources to feed over 800,000 people in Arizona who use SNAP monthly, Mayes disagreed.
The attorney general urged Hobbs and Republican leaders in the state legislature to call a special session to allocate some of the state’s $1.6 billion rainy day fund to compensate for the suspended benefits. However, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Steve Montenegro dismissed this suggestion, stating that Mayes and Hobbs should instead pressure Arizona’s Democratic U.S. Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego to vote for reopening the federal government.
Richie Taylor, a spokesman for Mayes, commented on Hobbs’s $1.8 million aid plan: “This is a step in the right direction, but Attorney General Mayes believes Democrats, Independents, and Republicans need to come together and solve this looming crisis. Attorney General Mayes is focused on winning the lawsuit she filed yesterday to force the federal government to pay SNAP benefits and prevent mass hunger across the nation.”
Details of the State Aid Plan
Governor Hobbs acknowledged that the $1.8 million in ARPA funds represents only a fraction of the usual $150 million in monthly food assistance the federal government provides to Arizonans who use SNAP.
The $300,000 allocated to the Food Bucks Now program will be divided among SNAP families, giving each family a voucher of approximately $30 to purchase fresh produce at participating farmers’ markets and grocery stores.
Hobbs is also encouraging Arizonans to assist their neighbors by donating to or volunteering with the Arizona Food Bank Network. Grocery stores and others in the food industry are similarly urged to donate food, resources, and expertise to help ensure that people do not go hungry.
SNAP in Arizona: Key Facts
– In 2023, an estimated 923,400 people in Arizona received SNAP benefits, accounting for about 12% of the state’s population, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
– Approximately 77% of SNAP recipients in Arizona live below the poverty line.
– Over 40% of recipients are members of working families.
– 68% are in families with children.
– Nearly 29% are in families that include older adults or people with disabilities.
– In the 2022 fiscal year, Arizona families enrolled in SNAP received an average of $312 in monthly benefits.
Response from Food Banks
April Bradham, president and CEO of the Arizona Food Bank Network, expressed gratitude for the state’s support: “On behalf of our member food banks, we’re grateful for this investment and the state’s partnership in meeting the expected surge in demand for emergency food assistance. Food banks are already serving an unprecedented number of more than 770,000 people each month, so the added support to serve even more Arizonans during this time is deeply needed and appreciated. We are grateful to the State and all the donors who can give to their local food banks during this time.”
As the federal government shutdown continues, Arizona’s combined efforts aim to mitigate hunger and provide support for vulnerable families relying on SNAP benefits.
https://www.rawstory.com/appalling-az-governor-fights-back-as-trump-admin-freezes-snap-benefits/