**Florida Democrats Urge Gov. DeSantis to Declare State of Emergency Amid Looming Food Assistance Crisis**
Florida Democrats in the Legislature are imploring Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency and allocate state funds to purchase food for distribution to food pantries. This urgent request comes as nearly 3 million Floridians face losing access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to an ongoing federal government shutdown.
Led by Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach) and House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa), legislative Democrats sent a letter to Gov. DeSantis on Tuesday. They urged him to use his emergency powers to ensure that millions of Floridians who rely on SNAP do not go hungry when their benefits expire this Saturday.
The letter also requests that DeSantis direct the Department of Children and Families—the agency responsible for administering SNAP—to coordinate with local food banks and community partners to distribute food immediately.
> “For families already struggling under record food and housing costs, the loss of this critical support would be catastrophic,” the letter states.
> “Local food banks and pantries have already reported overwhelming demand and depleted supplies. We are days away from a full-blown hunger emergency that will leave families without food during the holiday season. The state cannot stand by.”
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried echoed the urgency in a separate statement:
> “This moment is bigger than politics. This is about showing up for our fellow Americans and keeping Floridians safe and fed.”
### The Scope of SNAP in Florida
SNAP provides essential nutritional support for low-income seniors, people with disabilities living on fixed incomes, and other individuals and families facing food insecurity. Florida ranks fourth nationwide in SNAP enrollment, with nearly 2.94 million residents relying on the assistance—behind California, Texas, and New York.
Nationwide, approximately 41.7 million people depend on SNAP benefits, according to August 2025 data.
### Federal Shutdown and SNAP Funding Stalemate
The DeSantis administration recently posted a notice warning that SNAP benefits are about to expire, following an announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). On Friday, the USDA reported it would not tap into $6 billion in contingency funds to maintain benefits during the government shutdown.
It would take roughly $9 billion to cover SNAP costs through November. However, a federal memo—initially reported by Axios—claims that contingency funds cannot be used to sustain the program during the shutdown. The memo states:
> “Contingency funds are only available to supplement regular monthly benefits when amounts have been appropriated for, but are insufficient to cover, benefits. The contingency fund is not available to support FY 2026 regular benefits, because the appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists.”
This partisan impasse has resulted in a 28-day government shutdown, which began on October 1, the start of the federal fiscal year.
### Florida Democrats Demand State Action
In their letter, Florida Democrats emphasized SNAP’s critical role:
> “SNAP is one of the most effective programs for addressing hunger and food insecurity in the state. Especially after the recent cuts stemming from President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, Floridians cannot afford another day without action by the state. 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. No child should go hungry because politicians in Washington can’t agree. We urge you to act immediately.”
Senate Leader Lori Berman called the governor’s inaction “heartless”:
> “Florida has $5 billion in its ‘rainy day’ fund that DeSantis could use to avert the food cliff low-income families face. The sudden loss of those benefits would be an economic and humanitarian nightmare. With the stroke of a pen, the Governor can keep food on peoples’ tables. He has a responsibility to the people of this state to put partisanship aside and lead. Refusing to act would be truly heartless.”
House Leader Fentrice Driskell also criticized the governor:
> “He brags about ‘maxing out’ the amount of savings in the state’s ‘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. It costs a little more than $6 a day to feed someone. Isn’t every Floridian worth that?”
### Additional Recommendations
The letter further asks Gov. DeSantis to instruct the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to implement universal school meals programs for the duration of the declared emergency.
As of now, the governor’s office has not responded to requests for comment from Florida Phoenix.
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*Reported by Christine Sexton, Florida Phoenix*
https://flaglerlive.com/democratic-lawmakers-urge/