Kotek joins the governors of at least 12 other mostly Democrat-led states — including Washington and California — in diverting millions in state money to backfill the lost federal funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, starting Saturday.
Approximately one in six Oregonians and one in eight Americans rely on the program, commonly referred to as food stamps, to stave off hunger. Each month, Oregonians typically receive about $142 million in federally funded SNAP benefits, so $5 million won’t come close to bridging the gap.
In her announcement Wednesday, Kotek blamed the Republican-controlled Congress for the federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1 and soon will prevent money from reaching those who desperately need it.
“It’s unacceptable that families are being used as leverage in a political standoff in Washington, D.C.,” Kotek said in a news release. “While the Republican-controlled Congress fails to do its job, Oregon will do ours.”
Kotek said she has directed the Oregon Department of Human Services to send $5 million in unspent money that was designated in past years for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to Oregon’s network of food banks.
The governor also made a 60-day “emergency declaration,” which will allow the Oregon Department of Emergency Management to respond. That will also mean that, when the shutdown ends, the state “will be best positioned to turn SNAP benefits back on as swiftly as possible,” according to Kotek’s office.
Hours before Kotek announced she was devoting $5 million to SNAP recipients, Republican candidate for governor Sen. Christine Drazan excoriated Kotek for what she saw as failing to lead during a hunger crisis.
“Where is our governor?” Drazan asked in a news release. “It’s been weeks since notices went out to Oregonians that SNAP benefits would end. It’s clear Governor Kotek is not acting with urgency to protect struggling families.”
Oregon House Speaker Julie Fahey, a Eugene Democrat, faulted Republicans federally.
“Stopping SNAP benefits is a deliberate act of cruelty by the Trump administration, and it’s going to make it more difficult for families across Oregon to put food on their tables,” Fahey said, in a news release. “I appreciate Gov. Kotek for stepping up with real leadership in this moment when the President and Congressional Republicans have turned their backs on the kids, seniors, and working people who rely on the SNAP program.”
Nationwide, at least nine Democratic governors and three Republican governors have announced plans to help SNAP recipients get by while federal food assistance runs dry. Among them are Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson , a Democrat, who said he will devote “nearly $2.2 million per week” to food banks. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, another Democrat, said he has “fast-tracked” about $80 million to food aid organizations and will send the California National Guard to help distribute food.
In what may be one of the most generous emergency responses, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, announced that residents on SNAP would receive “comparable” weekly benefits from the state. So, for example, if a family normally received $200 a month in federal assistance, the state would give the family $50 per week.
In Oregon, SNAP money helps some of the most vulnerable residents put food on the table. About 210,000 are children, and 130,000 are ages 65 and older.
In addition to allocating some of Oregon’s leftover federal funds to food banks, Kotek also asked private citizens to consider donating to the Oregon Food Bank, which distributes staples to food banks statewide and in southwest Washington. The nonprofit’s donations pageon its website was experiencing such a glut of activity Wednesday evening that the organization offered advice on how to respond to error messages.
©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
