TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Democrats are calling on Gov. Ron DeSantis to intervene to close a funding gap that will leave millions of people without SNAP benefits this weekend.
As the government shutdown approaches a month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that it will not have enough money to cover Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits starting November 1.
That’s why Democrats are asking the governor to declare a state of emergency to open up access to emergency funds and take other steps to keep people fed during the federal shutdown.
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“The loss of this critical support will be devastating for families already struggling with record food and housing costs,” the letter said. “Local food banks and pantries are already reporting overwhelming demand and depleted supply.”
Tampa Bay is experiencing an “unprecedented surge” in the number of people seeking food assistance, Capital Ministries said.
The letter, sent Tuesday by Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach) and House Minority Leader Fentris Driskel (D-Tampa), was signed by all Democrats in the Florida Legislature.
The letter cited a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities that found that nearly 3 million Floridians, about 13% of Florida’s population, used SNAP benefits in 2024. The study also noted that the majority of SNAP users (59%) are families with children.
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“SNAP is for people who can’t earn enough to eat,” Driskel said. “They are our friends and neighbors. They are the people who work in our communities, the kids who sit next to us in class, and the seniors who built the Florida we inherited.”
Democrats want DeSantis to allow state agencies to purchase food from the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund and then direct the Department of Children and Families to partner with local food banks to distribute aid. They also propose implementing a universal school lunch program across the state during the period of funding loss.
“We have nearly $5 billion set aside in a ‘rainy day fund’ to avert disasters like the one that is barreling toward the end of this week,” Berman said. “With the stroke of a pen, a governor can keep food on people’s tables.”
