TRANSCRIPT: ‘People are panicking’: CNY social services brace for government shutdown impact
Jared Valentin: County leaders are warning Central New Yorkers about what an extended federal government shutdown could mean for social service recipients. NCC News’s Alex Wojcik is at the Salvation Army food pantry in downtown Syracuse. Alex?
Alex Wojcik: Thanks, Jared. It’s day 23 of the federal government shutdown. With federal funding on hold, many social services, including SNAP and HEAP, are in limbo. I spoke to staff here at the Salvation Army in downtown Syracuse and some locals who said an extended shutdown could be devastating for families in need.
Fears among Americans are growing as the Senate’s 12th vote on the Shutdown Fairness Act failed yesterday. As the shutdown continues, many local social services, including SNAP, are at risk of losing critical funding and being unable to support the families who depend on them.
Pam Alderman: Um, people are panicking. People spoke to me this morning. They were waiting at our door before we even open, wanting to know their food stamps are going to get cut, they aren’t going to have food. The community is just going to have to come forward. The money’s going to have to come from somewhere to support, um, our budget. I’m almost out of our food bank budget for this year, that has to last till June.
Wojcik: I spoke with locals in downtown Syracuse, and they believe the only resolution is a bipartisan agreement.
Mark Coolbeth: Well, I know it’s affecting a lot of people who do rely on those, those different services. And uh, you know, frankly, it comes down to partisan politics in my opinion. You know, it’s, it’s Democrats and Republicans, you know, bickering and not being able to come to a consensus on things.
Moriah Tompkins: They’re having the shutdown right now just because it’s Trump. If it was any other president, this wouldn’t be going on right now. But if it is going to affect things like SNAP and HEAP, that’s important for everyone. And that’s why I think this is just, like I said, it’s stupid.
Wojcik: Local agencies say they’re doing all they can, but without federal support, their resources won’t last forever. Now, Ryan McMahon spoke at a press conference earlier today and said that if Congress can’t reach a deal by November 1, 56,000 people in Onondaga County will be left without SNAP benefits. That’s about $23 million in a month. Families can only hope and pray that a deal is made before then. Jared?
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – As the federal government shutdown enters its 23rd day, county leaders are warning of a looming crisis for tens of thousands of Central New Yorkers.
According to County Executive Ryan McMahon during a press conference on Thursday, if Congress fails to reach a funding deal by November 1, 56,000 people in Onondaga County will lose their SNAP benefits. The cutoff would pull approximately $23 million in monthly assistance from the local community.
The shutdown is already causing anxiety at local social service agencies. At the Salvation Army food pantry in downtown Syracuse, staff say residents are fearful of what’s to come.
“People are panicking,” said Pam Alderman, the practical assistance manager at the Salvation Army. “People spoke to me this morning. They were waiting at our door before we even open, wanting to know their food stamps are going to get cut, they aren’t going to have food.”
Alderman warned that local food pantries and assistance programs are not equipped to handle the surge in need if federal funding for programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) is frozen.
“The community is just going to have to come forward. The money’s going to have to come from somewhere to support our budget,” she said, adding that her own food bank budget is already nearly depleted for a fiscal year that has to last until June.
With no end in sight for the government shutdown, as Congress failed to pass its 12th vote on the Shutdown Fairness Act, local residents are placing the blame on partisanship.
“Frankly, it comes down to partisan politics in my opinion,” said Syracuse resident Mark Coolbeth. “It’s Democrats and Republicans bickering and not being able to come to a consensus on things.”
That frustration was shared by Moriah Tompkins, who called the situation “stupid.”
“They’re having the shutdown right now just because it’s Trump. If it was any other president, this wouldn’t be going on right now,” Tompkins said. “But if it is going to affect things like SNAP and HEAP, that’s important for everyone.”
While local agencies pledge to do all they can, their resources won’t last forever without federal support. As the Nov. 1 deadline approaches, 56,000 CNY families are left to hope Congress can reach a deal.