Copyright The Boston Globe
The agency blamed Senate Democrats for the shutdown. But McKee, a Democrat, blasted President Trump, a Republican, for failing to tap emergency funds to keep food aid flowing. " It’s unbelievable," McKee said during a news conference Tuesday at the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. “It’s clearly unbelievable, but that’s where we are. It’s the Trump’s administration version of ‘Let Them Eat Cake,’ and it’s cruel.” A few states, including Virginia and Hawaii, have committed to providing state funds to residents who rely on SNAP, and Vermont is also set to do so. In New Hampshire, officials announced a plan to provide mobile food pantries open to SNAP recipients with $2 million in public funding. McKee announced three main steps to address the looming crisis: McKee said he will tap $6 million in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families - or TANF - funding to provide emergency payments to 65,000 people in eligible families with children, to partially offset the loss of SNAP benefits. The first state payment would be deposited directly onto electronic benefit transfer cards on Nov. 1, and a second payment would be made on Nov. 16. The combined payments would provide those families with half of what they would normally get from SNAP in a month, McKee said. But he noted those payments would not help another 80,000 Rhode Islanders who are about to lose SNAP benefits. According to federal regulations, TANF funds can be directed only to qualifying families with children. “We are still looking at options to direct support to those individuals,” McKee said. “Unfortunately, the federal government is making it harder than it should be to help. So while we’re continuing to pursue other options, we must prepare for the possibility that 80,000 Rhode Islanders may have to rely exclusively on food pantries and other nonprofit efforts.” McKee said he is directing $200,000 from a Social Services Block Grant to boost the food bank’s capacity. After meeting with McKee’s office last week, the food bank placed a bulk order to help ensure food is ready to be distributed to pantries across the state. McKee also issued a statewide “call to action” for donations to support food pantries. He announced the launch of a new online hub for SNAP updates during the shutdown: To access resources, donate, and find additional support, visit SNAPsupport.ri.gov. As part of that effort, the Rhode Island Foundation announced it is providing $1 million in emergency grants to help feed people until SNAP money is available again. The foundation will send $200,000 to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank to help ramp up the food supply to more than 100 food pantries and meal sites. And the foundation will distribute $800,000 to nonprofits through its Community Partner Resilience Fund. “Make no mistake about it, this is a crisis,” said David N. Cicilline, the foundation’s president and CEO. “Hunger is always looming for too many of our neighbors, but this is really unprecedented. The safety net that so many Rhode Islanders depend on to feed their families is on the verge of disappearing.” Cicilline, a former Democratic congressman, said the foundation is hoping the public will provide another $1 million to match the grant and meet the need. Contributions can be made at rifoundation.org/food. Also, the Rhode Island AFL-CIO announced a $10,000 donation to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. The labor organization has established 10 food donation locations at union halls throughout the state. “But let’s be clear, this crisis is manufactured,” Rhode Island AFL-CIO President Patrick Crowley said. “This crisis is because President Trump and his Republican supporters in Congress are looking to hurt Rhode Islanders. Because I don’t know about you, but if I had a choice between building a ballroom and putting food in the bellies of hungry children, that’s no choice at all — it’s the latter every single day of the week." Meanwhile, United Way of Rhode Island is using its network to host food collections across the state, and looking at launching a “statewide day of giving” to provide funding for emergency food programs. “Rhode Island families are facing what we call a perfect storm, and it’s unacceptable,” United Way of Rhode Island President & CEO Courtney Nicolato said. Wages have not kept pace with the rising cost of living, health insurance premiums are skyrocketing, and now SNAP benefits are ending, she said. “The very resource that keeps food on the table for thousands is being stripped away,” Nicolato said. “This is not only a crisis for individual families, it is a crisis for our entire economy and for the future of our state.” The press conference came one day after Helena Buonanno Foulkes, McKee’s opponent in the 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary, called for the governor to declare a state of emergency with SNAP benefits about to run out. She said a state of emergency declaration would mobilize the Rhode Island National Guard to assist with logistics and food distribution. When asked about Foulkes’ statement, McKee said, “It is really disappointing that we have political grandstanding at a moment like this.” As for use of the National Guard, he said, " When we have such an issue, we will use whatever is in our control to meet the emergency." In taking legal action with other attorneys general, Neronha, a Democrat, emphasized that the Department of Agriculture has billions in contingency funds to prevent a lapse in SNAP funding. “As the president prioritizes golden ballrooms over access to food, we will continue to fight on behalf of all Americans,” he said. When asked about the lawsuit filed by Neronha and other states, McKee said, " It’s certainly not going to come in time to address the issues that we have in front of us today." He said, “That could be a lengthy process and time will tell how that works out.” When asked if he could have used more federal TANF funding to fill the SNAP gap for families, McKee said, " A good amount of that is committed, in terms of family programs, so we appropriated what we believe keeps those commitments intact as well as addressing this issue."
