Maryland Gov. Wes Moore defended state intervention to protect residents from federal cuts, arguing that states are increasingly being forced to fill gaps left by Washington on essential programs.
Related stories
In an interview recorded Friday for Sunday’s “Face the Nation,” Moore told CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe that the federal government reducing or threatening funding for safety‑net programs place an unfair burden on states, which are required to balance their budgets and lack federal borrowing power.
Pushing back on the idea that states can absorb responsibilities such as Medicaid, Medicare, child care and food assistance without long‑term federal support, Moore said those programs were designed as joint efforts and shifting the cost to states risks destabilizing state finances and harming residents.
“So many of the decisions that this White House is making, they are making with a clear understanding that no state has a budget to say, ‘OK, well, we’ll just take on health care, or we’ll just take on food insecurity.’ We saw that happen last year when the President of the United States broke the law in order to cut SNAP. In fact, we sued them, and we won, and we beat him in court on this,” Moore said, citing Maryland’s response when the federal government moved to cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
Rather than allow residents to lose access to food assistance, Moore said Maryland moved $63 million from its fiscal responsibility fund to maintain SNAP benefits. The fund is largely supported by capital gains taxes and was used, he said, to prevent families from going hungry because of policy disputes in Washington.
“It is an unfair ask to ask us to take on what should be a joint responsibility, because the federal government has decided to stop doing its job,” Moore said.
Moore framed the move as both a financial necessity and a moral obligation. He said governors are often left making difficult decisions to protect residents when federal leadership pulls back from its role.
He warned that expecting states to permanently replace federal funding is unrealistic and risks unraveling programs millions rely on, adding that Maryland will continue stepping in when federal actions threaten access to food, health care and basic stability.
