BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani Announces Trump-Approved 90-Day Extension For Accepting SNAP

Good afternoon, everyone. It is a privilege to welcome so many bodega owners, elected officials, advocates, and community partners to City Hall today. We are together to announce a victory on behalf of working people and small business owners, both here in our city and across the country. I've spoken to President Trump and Secretary Rollins, and as a result of those conversations, the president has agreed to give small business owners at least a 90-day extension to comply with a rule that would have affected tens of thousands of SNAP-accepting grocery stores and bodegas nationwide. That extension starts today. I want to thank the president and the secretary for their consideration of New Yorkers and the hardship that this would have imposed on millions of Americans. In doing this, President Trump has delivered relief to small business owners across our city and across America. I want to acknowledge that today we are joined by leaders both inside of our administration as well as outside. We have our deputy mayors, Julie Hsu and Helena Arteaga. We have our mom and pop czar, Delia Awusi. We have our Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Food Policy, Siddhartha Sanchez. We have our DOHMH Commissioner, Alistair Martin. And we have our stalwart elected partners, Assemblymember Amanda Septimo, as well as City Councilmember Alexa Aviles. And alongside them, we have leaders who have ensured that this focus has been front of mind for those of us here at City Hall and even those of us who represent New Yorkers in Albany. We have Radames Rodriguez, the President of United Bodegas of America. And we have Amr Abuzaid, the director of small business services at Yemeni American Merchants Association. And alongside all of us, we have Nizna, we have Unite Here Local 100, and we have CIR SEIU representing organized labors. For the past two months, thousands of New Yorkers have been living under a cloud of stress and anxiety. On September 4th, the USDA issued guidance on new rules dictating what retailers had to stock in order to maintain SNAP authorization. These were significantly expanded standards, mandating that retail locations include seven varieties of food in four different categories, dairy, grains, proteins, and fruits and vegetables. For corporate grocery giants, these requirements posed little challenge, but the story was different for our neighborhood corner stores and bodegas. Many New Yorkers use their SNAP benefits at the bodegas that line our streets and sit at the corners of our intersections, the beating hearts of so many of our neighborhoods. And on September 4th, the USDA said that if small businesses did not meet these new standards by November 4th, they would lose their ability to accept SNAP. In a moment, the lives of more than a million New Yorkers and tens of millions more across America were thrown into chaos. Working people already reckoning with a shortage of affordable places to buy whatever it is they needed for their home, soaring costs at the register and food deserts across the five boroughs now feared that the few local places they could shop would no longer be able to accept their benefits. And as small business owners struggle to meet these new requirements in an impossibly short time frame, they knew that if they could no longer accept SNAP, they would have to turn away many of their customers and face the possibility of going out of business. As bodega organizations will tell you, SNAP purchases account for up to roughly 15 to 20% of a typical store's sales. In the Bronx, that figure can rise as high as 30%. These concerns were not limited to our city. They extended across our country, where working people have seen their benefits eroded, where it has grown harder and harder to keep a small business running, let alone profitable, and where so many of our fellow Americans, whether they shop at a general store in Michigan or a convenience store in Missouri, would have struggled to use their benefits and feed those they love. Here at City Hall, more than a hundred bodegas reached out to request more time to meet these requirements. We organized several roundtables at City Hall with business leaders to discuss this very issue, most recently just two weeks ago. We convened city agencies to discuss the impact of this rule. We produced informational materials to support our small businesses, even as we pushed up against it. And I've always believed that a critical part of this job. is raising the concerns of the smallest businesses to the highest levels of government. So we formally raised those requests to the federal government, and I personally escalated them directly to President Trump. As a result of this extension, tens of thousands of small businesses across our city and across our nation will now have at least three more months to meet this new guidance, three more months to procure goods, to establish relationships with purveyors, and to come into compliance. We recognize that more time is not enough on its own. Small businesses are still facing significant challenges and will require support. That is why I have directed city agencies, including our small business services and the Department of Health, to work closely with the USDA's Food and Nutrition Services to conduct thorough outreach to store owners and provide them with the assistance they need to meet the new requirements. This is just one part of our larger efforts to support both the 1.6 million New Yorkers at risk of losing their SNAP benefits and the thousands of bodegas where they shop. When I ran for this office, I promised New Yorkers that I would work with anyone and everyone to lower costs in our city and to improve New Yorkers' lives. I want to thank New Yorkers for their trust and President Trump for working with us to do exactly that. Thank you very much. And now with that, I will pass it over to our mom and pop czar, Delia Ousi, who will also be emceeing today's event. Good afternoon. First, I want to say a huge thank you to Mayor Mamdani for his leadership, his unwavering commitment to New York City's smallest businesses, and his strong advocacy for our mom and pop businesses. I also want to thank Deputy Mayor Julie Hsu for making sure economic justice includes our smallest businesses, that their voices are heard, and that they have a seat at the table. And a special thank you to our bodega owners, who truly represent the heart of what it means to be a mom and pop business in New York City. Since I became New York City's first mom and pop czar, I've met with hundreds of bodegas and thousands of small businesses. Our bodegas are the backbone of our neighborhoods. They're not just where we stop to pick up eggs or paper towels. They're where we get the latest neighborhood news, where the owners know our kids by name, they check in on them, and sometimes even slip them a piece of candy when they've been well-behaved. Our bodegas are so much more than businesses. They're part of what holds New York City together. And we know that running a bodega today isn't easy. Between rising operating costs, changing regulations, and the everyday challenges of running a small business, our owners have a lot on their plates. That's why I also want to thank our city agencies that have been working together to understand these changes, federal SNAP retail requirements, what they mean for our bodegas, and how we can help our owners navigate them. Because when regulations change, we have responsibility to make sure our smallest businesses aren't left trying to figure out everything on their own. And with today's announcement of a 90-day extension of the compliance deadline, I know many of our bodega owners are breathing a sigh of relief. This gives owners some much-needed breathing room and time to better understand the requirements and prepare for the changes ahead. And to our bodega owners, I want you to know that we hear you, we value you, and we're here to support you. Thank you very much. And next, I'd like to pass it to Assemblymember Amanda Sétima. Thank you. Hi, I will be brief. My name is Amanda Septimo. I represent the 84th Assembly District in the South Bronx. And the Bronx is home to small businesses all over the borough. Bodegas are at the heart of that community. Bodegas are where people go to get conveniently priced goods, last minute things. But it is also where people go to leave their keys for a neighbor. Or go where they, where they're able to get groceries when they don't have enough money to make ends meet that month, knowing that they will get what they need because there is someone there to support them. That is what bodegas represent in our community. They are a cornerstone and make up the fabric of what it means to be a New Yorker. This rule change was an attack on that fabric of our community. The fact that Mayor Mamdani's advocacy has changed that is proof that New York City government is using its power, its access, and its influence to deliver for New Yorkers on a daily basis. We know that bodegas across the city are struggling with rising costs like other businesses. And this is an opportunity to relieve some of that pressure by offering an extension on a program that we know could be harmful and also offering the resources to make sure that all of this harm is potentially mitigated in the end. So I want to thank Mayor Mamdani for his advocacy. And I want to thank bodegas across the city for making up such an integral part of the tapestry that makes New York what it is. Thank you. And next, we have UBA President Radames Rodriguez. Good afternoon, everybody. Good afternoon. It's very nice being here today, this afternoon. Made me happy. I want to thank Mayor Mamdani for listening to our concern, standing with our bodega owners and taking action and support this. I also want to thank Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. And our mom and pop, Cesar Delia, for making sure our voices are here and our bodegas owners have a seat on the table. Today, I'm very happy to this announcement. It's welcome news for this tremendous relief for many bodegas that are in New York City. This 90-day extension, it gives us time to better understand the new requirement and regulation and prepare our changes to continue our business. Our bodegas are more than business. We are part of the neighborhood where we serve. And for many families, we are their closest and the most convenient. Sources for fresh food when and everybody needs especially and where they are around in the neighborhood. We want to follow the rules. We and we want to get the right that that's why clear guidance, open communication and fair opportunity opportunity to to correct any regulation that is making. We hope today. Announcement is the beginning of continuing dialogue with USDA so we can work together in practical and potential meeting every other day, fair and listening to the solution. We look forward to continuing to work with the city and our federal partners to make Make sure that our bodegas can... Drive and continue serving our community. Thank you again, Mayor Mandani, Deputy Mayor Julie Su, and Mom and Pop, Cesar Delia, for making this happen. I'm sorry, but I want to say this in English, in Spanish, I'm sorry. Gracias. Muy buenas tardes. Me siento muy feliz de estar aquí en la casa de nosotros acá, la alcaldía. Thank you, Mayor Mandani, Julie, and Delia for making this happen. Hemos estado trabajando por unas cuantas semanas. We'll For all the situations that we are going through in our wineries, I am in particular the owner of wineries. I have 40 years in this country be and I know how difficult it is to work in a winery. right Not only today are the regulations and changes that the USDA is making affecting us, we have many other situations that we must face. back. And I know that here they are opening the doors for us so that this can be resolved. Miles de bodegueros nos llaman a nuestra oficina para que sean más considerados con nuestras bodegas. Nuestras bodegas le servimos a la comunidad. Nosotros somos la comunidad. Si nosotros nos falta una licencia o perdemos el privilegio de obtener el beneficio de los EBT, sufrimos tanto como nuestra comunidad. Thank More than 25, 30, even many of them, Mayor Mandani, 40 and up to 50% depend on the EBT. you So there are many regulations and there are many... very Situaciones que estamos teniendo y por tal razón estamos perdiendo negocios. much. Cuando a un negocio le suspenden el privilegio de tener los EBT, prácticamente estamos mandando a cerrar a una bodega. No tenemos la culpa de estar en vecindarios que realmente todavía tienen que depender de ellos. Thank you. And next, we have Yama, Director of Small Business Services, Amir Bozad. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Amra Bouzaid. I'm the director of small business services at the Yemeni American Merchant Association, and I'm also a son of immigrants who immigrated to this country and worked for years behind the counter of Corner Store. As we all know, Corner Store is the backbone of New York City, and the guy behind the bodega is counted as a family member to many community members or to many communities and neighborhoods in our city. First, I would like to thank Mayor Mamdani, who has met with us and listened to our concerns and who took this concern directly to the President. I also want to thank Deputy Mayor Julie Zhu. I would like to thank Mamam Babzar Delia for her dedicated work and meeting with us to hear our concerns and hearing about our issues on this important issue. We feel that New York City is the voice. of small bodegas and the voice of small bodegas are being heard by those in the highest position of power. Bodega owners work hard many times. They are running the stores with just themselves and the family member. So let's take this time to celebrate this achievement of this There's... Victory to that will help our bodegas and our families who is behind the counters helping the community and helping their families. We do not have lawyers and staff to monitor the compliance of every rule that comes from the federal government. We want to supply healthy food to our customers and we also want to strive to be in compliance with every rule and regulation. But when federal government puts a new complex rules and only give us few months to comply, they set us up for failure. Bodegas are operating on a razor-thin margin. Bodega owners work for many years to build enough savings to start their businesses. ABT is a lifeline for many families in our communities, and that's how they put money on the table. If we lose our SNAP or if these stores are losing their SNAP authorization for six months, that could be the end of their businesses. Hardworking dedicated small business owners should not have to close their businesses and to close their doors because of rule made in Washington. So I think we should be supporting all this law and we should celebrate this moment as a victory for our small business and we would love to continue the work that we've been doing to support our families and to support our businesses. So thank you, Mayor, for standing with us. We will continue to stand with you as we push to make common sense changes that allow bodegas and continue operates while offering healthier food to our customers. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. And now Councilwoman Alexa. Good afternoon, everyone. So pleased to be here. Thank As I was listening to the speakers, you know, I grew up in New York City. And back in the day, there was something called fiao, which was like, oh, there still is. I'm a little older now. Which was families depended on bodegas to get the food, even when they didn't have money to pay for it. you. And my family depended very much on the generosity of the bodegas. To give us food and to hope that one day we were going to pay them back. And that's the contract that we are talking about that is so important in communities. And that's why it's so important that we have gotten this extension because communities like the ones I represent and the ones all across New York City deeply depend on SNAP and food. And we have to protect those sources to make sure that families can be safe and whole. And so I am standing here with such deep gratitude to the mayor for brokering this extension and continuing to do the work with all the city agencies to protect our small businesses, to protect our bodegas, and to protect working families and New Yorkers who find themselves in very difficult times right now. And there will be more difficult times ahead, and this is one more example of a city working very hard to use its power and leverage to support the people to make sure that we can get through another day and that we will thrive as the amazing city that we are. Thank you so much. Thank you all. Okay, we'll now have time for some questions. We're going to take questions about today's announcement only. We're going to start with Katie. I have a snap question. I just want to make sure Dora approves of it first. Sorry. I'm just kidding. So SNAP recipients are still getting their benefits stolen without any repayment because of the cards, obviously, which is devastating in a time of rising food costs. I'm curious if in your conversation with the president, I don't know if it was a call, text, whatever, if you could, if you've asked him to see if Congress can restart those repayments, and if not, is that something the city would ever take up to help? Recoup the money. It's estimated to cost about two and a half million dollars a month for the stolen benefits. This is something that I was familiar with even as an assembly member when I served alongside assembly member Septimo. We would see a number of New Yorkers who, through no fault of their own, were not able to access their SNAP benefits because those benefits were being stolen. And that, I know, is a continued focus both in Albany as well as in Washington. What I will say is the conversations that I had with the president on this. They have yielded both this extension and also they continue because we are always looking for ways in which we can deliver a material change that working New Yorkers can experience in their wallets. We've had a broad conversation around SNAP. This was the focus in this moment of how can we yield this extension. We had reached out to the federal government. I reached out to the president directly. We've had a number of conversations, and he agreed. Yes. Okay, we'll go next to Amanda, actually, in the back over here. How are you? Good. Quick question. Just out of curiosity, when you spoke to President Trump about this, was there any resistance? We know you both have a mutual love for the city. Did you have to take any convincing for him to pass this extension? You know what? What I told the president was that this is a rule that if allowed to be implemented on the timeline as it was scheduled, would be one that would throw the lives of so many working New Yorkers into a real place of anxiety and chaos. And those are the New Yorkers who. Who run these bodegas and the New Yorkers who rely on these bodegas and the president took that concern seriously and he agreed to extend this by at least 90 days and I appreciate the president's decision for making that agreement, not just for our city, but for the entire country and the secretary's work in implementing that. We'll go next to Jack. Mr. Mayor. And that is what this decision does. And what I made clear to the president and to the secretary is that this request was motivated by. The request that I have heard from bodegueros and from New Yorkers themselves, and you here can see elected officials who've been championing this in Albany and here in the council. And the reason that I escalated this to the president directly was the fact that we were running out of time. This rule is one that went from being hypothetical to being material in the time period that it was going to take place. It was about a week ago. And the president agreed to at least a 90-day extension, and I have made clear that I will always bring up these very kinds of concerns in case they are ever being raised to me as the mayor of our city. I have always said that I will work with anyone to deliver for working-class New Yorkers, and I am proud to be standing here today showcasing what it looks like for all of us to work together to deliver for those same New Yorkers. Okay, we have time for two more. We'll go to Josie. I'm wondering, what's the calculus here? I know you reached out directly to Trump on this and other issues, but for others, you have not escalated directly to them. I'm thinking of, for example, the letter you sent about ICE operating out of parking lots that are city-owned. So can you explain at all what makes an issue something you will raise Directly to Trump versus something you will. Send off to members of his administration. Well, the president and I have an ongoing conversation about anything that affects our city. And for all of the policy disagreements the two of us have, we do have a shared love of this city. And that does not mean that every request is met. That does not mean that every attempt is successful. What it does mean, however, is that there is always more chance than there was the day before of a working New Yorker's life. And there are needs being addressed as a result of what we talk about, what we can do. Do you talk to him on the phone consistently, or how much do you speak with him? I'll keep the cadence of that between the two of us. What I will say is that the conversation remains ongoing. Okay, we have time for just one more. We'll go to Henry in the front. Thanks for having this one indoors. We appreciate it. Um, I... The president is famously a fan of fast food. This is a policy designed to get fresher food into every type of grocery store and bodega and small convenience store. Did you ask him why he supported this policy in general and was there talk of rolling it back? The focus for me was what the immediate concerns were of bodegueros across the city and of New Yorkers which was that Many of them support the intent behind this regulation. The issue, however, was that with that short of a time period, they were facing the potential of losing SNAP authorization and therefore losing more than a quarter of all of their sales because they would not be able to transform their stocking, their capacity, their capability at large. And so what I asked the president was if there was any way to provide an extension here. To ensure that these bodegueros would not have to wake up every morning not knowing if that was the day an enforcement agent would come into their store, slap them with a fine, and let them know that their authorization was being stripped of them. The president heard me. The president made the decision to create at least a 90-day extension of this. And for that, I am appreciative. Thank you all. Thank you, everyone.