Moore Declares State of Emergency, Allocates $10 Million to Food Banks
With nearly 700,000 Marylanders facing an abrupt end to their federal food assistance, Gov. Wes Moore (D) declared a state of emergency to address the economic impacts of the ongoing government shutdown and allocated both $62 million to provide direct food assistance alongside $10 million to food banks and pantries across the state to address food insecurity.
While distributing groceries at the Anne Arundel County Food Bank, Moore said Maryland was responding to the federal government’s “dereliction of duty” and criticized the Trump administration’s refusal to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) amid the shutdown.
“I am heartbroken that the people of our state are being forced to be so resilient. What we are seeing from this federal administration is not just cruel, it’s illegal. They are breaking the law to show how cruel they can be,” said Moore on Oct. 30, while distributing food alongside Maryland Democratic Party Chair Steuart Pittman. “The money is there; they are choosing not to allocate it. The money has been appropriated; they are choosing not to distribute it. This is heartless, this is cruel and this is unforgivable.”
Federal workers across the DMV region have increasingly turned to food banks, including the Bowie Food Pantry, for assistance as the federal government has been shut down for over a month and many have gone unpaid, even while reporting to work.
Some food pantries, including New Home Baptist Church, report running out of supplies quicker than usual. Redeemers Church of Christ, based in Lanham, has massively increased their food giveaway capacity to accommodate community need.
Moore acknowledged the unique challenges that Marylanders are facing amid sweeping layoffs of federal workers, the cancellation of federal projects such as the proposed FBI Greenbelt headquarters, and the shuttering of local facilities including the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC).
“I understand the weight of what it means to put this state under a state of emergency, particularly when the state of emergency is not a natural disaster, when it is a human-made one,” he said during a press conference. “We are barreling towards the longest federal government shutdown in the history of the United States, and no state can fill the gap.”
From the funding to his work at food banks, Maryland’s Democratic members of Congress applauded the governor’s efforts to confront food insecurity.
“With prices on the rise and the uncertainty created by the Republican government shutdown, many Marylanders are struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile the Trump administration has failed to ensure those in need will have access to nutrition assistance – refusing to keep SNAP benefits flowing,” read a joint statement posted on Oct. 30. “That’s why we’re glad to see Gov. Moore take action to protect vulnerable Maryland families. We stand with the governor and support this decision to help Marylanders put food on the table, as we continue fighting to reopen the government and end this shameful Republican shutdown.”
Local Leaders Celebrate SNAP Ruling
Maryland leaders are celebrating after two federal judges ruled for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to be distributed post President Donald Trump’s repeated refusal to use a $5 billion contingency fund to keep November food assistance available to the estimated 42 million Americans and 680,000 Marylanders who qualify.
An Oct. 31 ruling by Judge John McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island declared that food assistance must be paid out of emergency funds “as quickly as possible,” and Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts ruled the Trump administration’s attempt to suspend SNAP was illegal.
“The court is ordering that USDA must distribute the contingency money timely, or as soon as possible, for the Nov. 1 payments to be made,” said McConnell in his ruling. “There is no doubt, and it is beyond argument, that irreparable harm will begin to occur if it hasn’t already occurred in the terror it has caused some people about the availability of funding for food for their family.”
A written order by McConnell mandates partial payments be made by Nov. 5 andTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Nov. 2 that the administration will comply and not appeal the legal decision.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) celebrated the rulings and called SNAP a lifeline for millions of Americans.
“We have long said: the Trump administration must follow the law, release contingency funding for SNAP, and lead congressional Republicans in ending the federal government shutdown,” said Moore. “We are encouraged by both Judge Talwani and Judge McConnell’s rulings and call upon the USDA to release emergency nutrition funds on Monday.”
Comptroller Brooke Lierman (D) announced she was “deeply relieved” by the court ruling and Attorney General Anthony Brown (D), one of 23 attorneys general suing the Trump administration for suspending SNAP benefits, pledged to continue his legal efforts to ensure food assistance for Maryland families.
“The Court agreed that USDA can’t lawfully cut off Marylanders’ SNAP benefits. As this case moves forward, we will continue to fight in court to force the federal government to fund SNAP benefits that families rely on to put food on the table,” Brown said in a statement. “Every Marylander deserves the dignity of knowing where their next meal will come from. We will not allow the Trump administration to take food from children’s mouths when they have the money to feed them.”
Marylanders in need of food assistance can go to 211md.org to locate the nearest food pantry or food bank.