federal shutdown

On Friday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to continue paying the food assistance benefits. In Broome County, the state of emergency will remain in place until SNAP benefits are disbursed.

A handful of states rolled out plans to use their own funds to provide benefits as the SNAP federal food aid program runs dry. The Trump administration says the federal government won’t fund the program for low-income households in November because of the prolonged federal shutdown.

Today is the 35th day of the partial government shutdown. For New York Republican congressman Tom Reed that’s 35 days too long.

Beginning January 26, Farm Service Agency offices across New York and Pennsylvania will reopen. Nationwide, the USDA is recalling almost 10,000 workers to help farmers affected by the partial federal shutdown.

As the partial government shutdown enters its fifth week, the effects are spreading throughout Southern Tier and Finger Lakes communities.

New Yorkers who receive federal food assistance, also known SNAP, will get their February payments early. SNAP, which a federal program and part of the Agriculture Department, is caught up in the federal shutdown, but earlier this month the USDA instructed states to issue the February payments early.