New York state lawmakers from across the political spectrum said Gov. Kathy Hochul should be prepared to pick up the full tab for food assistance benefits that are in limbo due to the federal government shutdown.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits for nearly three million New Yorkers expired Saturday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it wouldn’t refill recipients' benefit cards. But in response to litigation by New York and other states, two federal judges ruled Friday the benefits should be paid with federal contingency funds so low-income people can continue to buy groceries.

The USDA is set to provide a status update on the issue Monday . The rulings at least temporarily relieve pressure on Hochul, a Democrat, to open the state’s checkbook t

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