TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that Florida’s agriculture department will “be doing more” to support the nearly 3 million low-income residents who may lose access to federal food assistance as the government shutdown continues.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, DeSantis dismissed calls from state Democrats to declare a state of emergency or use state funds to replace the suspended Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
“I’m getting letters from Democrats saying, ‘You should declare an emergency and create your own SNAP,’ when they’re the ones that are filibustering SNAP,” DeSantis said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture previously announced it would halt SNAP payments starting Nov. 1 due to the shutdown. Although two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to use contingency funds to resume payments, the administration said Monday it would issue partial benefits this month but would not release additional funds.
About one in eight Floridians rely on SNAP, and 60% of those recipients are families with children, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Democratic lawmakers urged the governor to take immediate action, writing that “no child should go hungry because politicians in Washington can’t agree.”
DeSantis said the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) would ramp up assistance but offered few specifics. His office confirmed the state would not use emergency funding to address food insecurity.
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson highlighted the Farmers Feeding Florida initiative, a state-funded program launched earlier this year to redirect “unmarketable” food from local growers to food banks. Lawmakers allocated $28 million for the program and another $10 million to expand food bank infrastructure.
In its first three months, the initiative distributed roughly 3.8 million pounds of food from Florida farms, including dairy, seafood, peanut butter, and fresh produce.
While Florida focuses on strengthening existing programs, other states have taken bolder steps. In Iowa, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds activated the National Guard and pledged $1 million in matching funds for food bank donations. Massachusetts and Minnesota, both led by Democrats, have committed millions in state funds to bolster food assistance efforts.
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