SCHUMER: THANKSGIVING IS TOMORROW AND FOOD BANKS ARE STRUGGLING AS NEW GOP SNAP CUTS TAKE EFFECT; SENATOR ANNOUNCES NEW LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN SNAP FOR 345,000+ WESTERN NY & ROCHESTER FINGER-LAKES FAMILIES, SENIORS, & VETS WHO RELY ON VITAL ANTI-HUNGER PROGRAM, HELP LOCAL FARMERS AND SAVE COUNTY BUDGETS FROM PAYING FOR DEVASTATING FOOD CUTS

Over The Summer, Trump Rushed To Pass Largest Cut To SNAP In History – Nearly $200 BILLION - To Fund Tax Breaks For Billionaires With Those Cuts Beginning Now Just Before Thanksgiving; Food Banks Are Already Seeing Surging Need As Grocery Prices Skyrocket From Tariffs

Schumer Says These Cruel SNAP Cuts Hurt Our Families, Farmers & Food Bank And Now Is Announcing New Legislation To Keep Western NY & Rochester Finger-Lakes Families Fed, Reverse Anti-Hunger Cuts

Schumer: Thanksgiving Is A Time For Us To Take Care Of Our Neighbors And That Means Protecting SNAP

As Western NY and Rochester-Finger Lakes food banks help families for Thanksgiving, just as GOP SNAP cuts start to take effect adding to already overwhelming demand, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer today announced his new legislation – the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act – to repeal the devastating SNAP cuts set to rip away food from thousands of hungry kids and families across America. Standing at the St. Vincent DePaul Society Food Pantry in Wyoming County, Schumer said New Yorkers are already struggling to feed their families amid rising grocery costs due to tariffs, and losing vital food assistance because of the cuts in the Republican budget, causing advocates to warn of a hunger crisis.

“SNAP isn’t an abstract policy or a number in a spreadsheet; it’s food, dignity, and survival for thousands of families here in Western NY and the Rochester-Finger Lakes region. Thanksgiving is around the corner, and food banks are already overwhelmed because of rising grocery costs due to tariffs, and now families are being hit with devastating cuts to food assistance that could hurtle us to a hunger crisis,” said Senator Schumer. “That’s why I’m introducing the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act. This new bill will protect SNAP and stop thousands of New Yorkers from going hungry, and ensure every family has the basic security and dignity of food on the table. This is not a partisan issue; it is a moral issue.”

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest anti-hunger program in the United States and a lifeline for nearly 3 million NY seniors, veterans, and families who rely on the critical funding to purchase groceries. SNAP provides an average of $187 per month in food aid to over 42 million people nationwide. 3 million New Yorkers receive SNAP benefits, including more than 345,000 in Western New York and the Rochester-Finger Lakes region. A county-by-county breakdown for those in Western New York and the Rochester-Finger Lakes region on SNAP can be found below:

Schumer and colleagues’ new Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act would reverse the SNAP cuts in the “Big, Ugly Betrayal,” helping families put food on the table, food banks keep shelves stocked, and local farmers sell their local food products. The entire Democratic caucus has signed on to co-sponsor the legislation. The full text for the legislation can be seen HERE. The Republican-passed ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ this month began to rip away food benefits from millions of Americans, with even more cuts set to come in 2027 and 2028, eventually slashing or shutting off benefits for 4 million Americans and totaling nearly $200 BILLION in food assistance cuts, all to help pay for bigger tax breaks for billionaires.

In Wyoming County, nearly 1,500 households – totaling almost 2,500 people – relied on SNAP in a single month last August, receiving assistance to help buy groceries. More than two-thirds of those households are non-temporary assistance SNAP, meaning they are largely working families, seniors, and neighbors whose incomes are still too low to keep up with rising food costs. At the same time, local food pantries are being pushed to the brink. The St. Vincent DePaul Society Food Pantry in Attica, which partners with Foodlink, now serves over 200 families each month at their monthly pop-up food distribution event. Foodlink, the regional food bank that serves Wyoming County and nine other counties, reports that food insecurity across its 10-county service area has climbed to 12.8%, affecting roughly 160,000 people, and its network of more than 350 pantries and meal programs recorded 1.86 million client visits in 2024 – a 40 percent jump in just one year. SNAP and food pantries work together to keep families from going hungry, but Foodlink and its partners have made it clear that without federal support, children and families in the region will be in jeopardy of going hungry.

According to new data from Hunger Free America, New York families are being slammed by higher prices at the grocery store. Half of New York families said they could not afford balanced meals, 24% said they were forced to buy less nutritious food for their children, 31% said they had to reduce portion sizes for their children, and 19% said they had to skip meals for their children. More than half of families said they were forced to obtain free food from food charities, with 60% having to wait an hour or more for food, and 57% going to agencies that ran out of food.

“Hunger exists in every corner of Western New York. There are children, seniors, veterans, and families in all parts of our community who rely on nutritional assistance programs to make sure there is enough food on the table each month. The most important of those programs is SNAP. FeedMore WNY and our network of partner agencies are here to make sure no one falls through the cracks, but SNAP is the first line of defense against hunger. When SNAP alone is not enough, people turn to us for additional assistance, and there are more people in need of assistance every year. We’ve seen a significant increase in food needs, with a 16% rise in individuals served in 2024 compared to the previous year, bringing the total to over 165,700 people,” said Collin Bishop, FeedMore WNY Chief Communications Officer. “FeedMore WNY is incredibly grateful for Senator Chuck Schumer’s long-time support of FeedMore WNY. Senator Schumer is always there to help us address the nutritional needs in our community, he is a strong advocate for SNAP and FeedMore WNY’s nutritional assistance programs, and we are grateful for his partnership and leadership in Washington.”

“As we head into Thanksgiving, we see firsthand how many of our neighbors are worried about simply putting a meal on the table,” said Rebecca Patterson with the St. Vincent DePaul Society Food Pantry in Attica. “We are incredibly thankful for the people, businesses, and organizations like Foodlink who support this pantry with food and donations – they are the reason we can keep our shelves stocked. SNAP and food pantries work hand in hand to keep families from going hungry, and no amount of charitable giving can supplant the vital role SNAP plays in keeping the most vulnerable in our communities fed. We are deeply grateful to Senator Schumer for standing up for SNAP, helping us maintain our promise to provide food for those in need, and for shining a spotlight on rural communities like ours.”

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