900,000 Arizonans Won’t Receive Food Assistance, Hobbs: ‘I Thought People Knew’

No SNAP Benefits November 1, No Formal Public Statement from AZ Gov, No Help Coming From Arizona

Governor Katie Hobbs is nowhere to be found as Arizona families brace for the SNAP shutdown. While other states have acted swiftly by declaring emergencies and tapping reserve funds to keep food on the table—Hobbs has remained silent, offering no plan, no statement, and no leadership.

She inherited a $2.5 billion surplus from former Governor Doug Ducey, yet within a year, Arizona now faces a $1.4 billion deficit. With nearly 900,000 Arizonans at risk of losing food assistance, her administration still hasn’t issued a clear response.

As federal funds for SNAP dry up due to the ongoing government shutdown, several states, including Virginia, Vermont, Louisiana, and Hawaiʻi, have announced emergency measures to keep benefits flowing beyond November 1.

But not Arizona, where Hobbs has yet to hold a press conference or release an official statement addressing the crisis.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed that no federal SNAP benefits will be issued unless Congress passes a budget, warning that its contingency fund is “insufficient to cover November disbursements.”

For the 900,000 Arizona families who depend on these benefits, silence from the Governor’s Office speaks volumes.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency, authorizing the use of reserve funds to keep food aid flowing if federal SNAP benefits stop on November 1. His administration said the move would “ensure continuity of essential food benefits for Virginia families” while the shutdown continues.

Arizona officials knew on October 10, that come November 1 - citizens would lose SNAP benefits. Yet when Hobbs was asked last week why official notices did not inform Arizonans the Governor said, “I thought people knew.” Media pundits have lambasted the Hobbs administration for sitting on their hands for two weeks without informing the public or trying to work with the legislature.

On October 8, Hobbs launched her re-election campaign.

Brian Anderson on X

While other governors are stepping up to reassure residents, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has remained largely silent.

According to Capitol reporter Howard Fischer, Hobbs briefly commented after a ribbon-cutting ceremony, saying Arizona doesn’t “have the capacity to backfill” benefits for the nearly 900,000 Arizonans who rely on SNAP each month. When asked why she couldn’t take action similar to other governors, Hobbs brushed off the comparison: “I’m not sure what resources they’re coming up with,” she said, adding, “We don’t have those resources.”

That may be true — but it wasn’t always the case. As AZ Free News reporter Matthew Holloway pointed out, former Governor Doug Ducey blasted Hobbs for what he called reckless fiscal management after she announced her 2026 reelection campaign. Ducey claimed he left a $2.5 billion surplus, which under Hobbs’ watch has turned into a $1.4 billion deficit in just one year.

Maybe that’s why Arizona “doesn’t have those resources.”

This is a developing story.