Top legislative Democrats in Tallahassee are imploring Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to help the nearly 3 million Floridians set to lose federal food assistance benefits this coming weekend due to the federal government shutdown.
State Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach, and state Rep. Fentrice Driskell D-Tampa, sent a letter signed by every Democrat in the Florida Legislature on Tuesday to the governor urging him to step in and boost the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, previously known as food stamps.
“SNAP is one of the most effective programs for addressing hunger and food insecurity in the state," says the Democratic letter. "Florida has the fiscal strength to respond. What’s needed now is the moral will to act."
"No parent should have to choose between paying rent and feeding their kids," the Democrats wrote. "No child should go hungry because politicians in Washington can’t agree. We urge you to act immediately.”
The SNAP benefits could dry up without either a resolution of the federal government shutdown or other action.
In Florida, nearly 3 million people receive SNAP benefits, including more than 1 million children, more than 700,000 seniors and 250,000 people with disabilities.
State officials have warned SNAP recipients that benefits for the month of November “will not be issued until federal funding is restored.”
“You may receive notices about your eligible benefit amount, but you will not receive any benefits deposited to your EBT card during this time,” DCF officials wrote on its agency website.
The SNAP program is widespread, helping 1 out of 8 Floridians afford food. This assistance covers the entire state as well, with urban counties like Miami-Dade and rural ones like Hamilton, Liberty, and Hardee Counties each having more than 20% of households receiving aid in 2023, according to Democrats.
Lower-income families who qualify for SNAP receive debit cards loaded each month by the federal government that work only for groceries at participating stores and farmers markets.
The average monthly benefit is $187 per person. Most beneficiaries have incomes at or below the poverty level.
READ MORE: Floridians on SNAP and WIC worry about benefits during government shutdown
The Democrats' letter asks the Governor to declare a state of emergency, direct resources to help and strengthen food distribution programs, and to provide universal free school meals to Florida’s kids during this time of uncertainty.
“Millions of Floridians rely on SNAP — mostly children, seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans — and the sudden loss of those benefits would be an economic and humanitarian nightmare," said Berman in a statement.
We have nearly $5 billion in the ‘rainy day fund’ to avert disasters like the one we’re barreling toward this weekend."
“With the stroke of a pen, the Governor can keep food on peoples’ tables," Berman said. "He has a responsibility to the people of this state to put partisanship aside and lead. Refusing to act would be truly heartless.”
Said Driskell, in a statement: “The Governor brags about maxing out the rainy-day fund. If millions of hungry Floridians isn't an economic storm, I don’t know what is.
"This is a crisis but an entirely solvable one. We can make sure Floridians do not go hungry," Driskell said.
"This governor has never had a problem loudly using the power of the state and its resources to pursue his own personal ambitions," she added. "Now, when Floridians need it most, he cannot remain silent."
