Food banks in Arizona are bracing for a surge in demand as SNAP benefits are set to run out Saturday for nearly 900,000 people in the state. Gov. Katie Hobbs visited a Phoenix food bank Thursday and criticized President Donald Trump for the funding freeze.
After helping load food boxes into a few cars alongside volunteers at St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix, Hobbs told reporters she is looking at all options to mitigate the situation.
Hobbs on Wednesday announced Arizona would use $1.8 million in federal pandemic relief funds to help food banks meet increasing demand. But she said that will not make up for the $155 million that SNAP brings into the state each month.
“We allocated $1.8 million to provide emergency assistance — I know it’s not enough,” Hobbs said. “We’re asking Arizonans to show up for their community like they always do — I know that’s not enough. The president could end this right now.”
The Trump administration is blaming Democrats for the disruption to SNAP benefits as the federal government shutdown drags on.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats,” a message posted on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website says.
But Hobbs said Trump could release more than $5 billion from a USDA contingency fund to keep the food stamps program running during the shutdown.
“There’s never been a government shutdown where the president has said, ‘no we’re not going to feed hungry people who rely on this funding to not go hungry,'” Hobbs said. “This is his choice.”
The USDA argues its contingency fund cannot legally be tapped in this situation.
Arizona is among more than 20 states suing the Trump administration over the SNAP freeze. Hobbs said she is hopeful that the lawsuit will resolve the issue.
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FEMA has awarded about $700,000 to Arizona and the Havasupai Tribe to fund hazard mitigation projects. The money came from a program the federal agency had nixed but was reinstated by the courts earlier this year. -
Phoenix households cut from SNAP can apply for a $600 credit toward their APS or SRP electric bill and $100 for gas or public transportation. -
Planned Parenthood Arizona clinics are once again providing care for patients insured through Medicaid. Services for Medicaid patients had been on pause since September. -
The U.S. Agriculture Department says Arizona’s error rate for food stamp applications was 10.8%; that’s higher than the national rate of 10.6%. If that number doesn’t come down, it’ll cost the state in penalties, thanks to provisions in the "Big Beautiful Bill Act." -
In addition to refugees and asylum seekers, H.R. 1 ended SNAP eligibility for other immigrants who lack permanent resident status, including survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.
