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Medicaid. Social Security. Housing aid. Threats from the Trump administration to shrink America’s social safety net raise many far-reaching, serious questions: What is a government’s responsibility to its people? How far should states stretch to fill gaps in critical services? How far can they stretch?

But for now, let’s start with the most basic question of all: Who’s not going to eat today?

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On that question, we can’t afford to wait. That’s why it’s crucial that New York include more food aid in this year’s state budget.

Food banks across the country are warning of bare cupboards because of $1 billion in cuts and "pauses" to federal programs that supplied them. The programs also helped schools buy food from local farms. Meanwhile, the Republicans who narrowly control Congress are considering whether to

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