Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency on Day 30 of the government shutdown as federal food aid benefits face a funding lapse.
He also announced that $10 million in state funds will be used for food banks and partner organizations to support families.
Federal food benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are set to halt on Saturday due to the shutdown.
“In response to the President’s illegal refusal to deploy emergency federal funding to keep food assistance running, I am declaring a State of Emergency in the State of Maryland,” Mr. Moore, a Democrat, wrote in a social media post Thursday.
Senate Democrats want the Trump administration to tap $5 billion in contingency funding, created by Congress to fund SNAP in the event of emergencies. The administration said it doesn’t have the legal authority to do so.
Other states, including Virginia, have declared states of emergency to free up state funds to replace some or all SNAP benefits.
Lawmakers across the aisle have urged Mr. Moore to use Maryland’s rainy day fund to help.
On Tuesday, the District of Columbia and 25 states, including Maryland, announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration to force it to fund food stamps despite the shutdown.
The White House has not promised to reimburse states for using state funds to cover SNAP benefits.
