SCHUMER: THANKSGIVING IS TOMORROW AND FOOD BANKS ARE STRUGGLING AS NEW GOP SNAP CUTS TAKE EFFECT; SENATOR ANNOUNCES NEW LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN SNAP FOR NEARLY 90,000 SOUTHERN TIER 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 Southern Tier 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 food banks help families for Thanksgiving in the Southern Tier and beyond, 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 Roots & Wings Food Pantry, 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 the Southern Tier. 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 nearly 90,000 in the Southern Tier. A county-by-county breakdown for those in the Southern Tier 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.

As food insecurity continues to escalate across the Southern Tier and the nation, local food security organizations and pantries in Chenango County are facing an alarming surge in demand. Just this month, Roots & Wings, Catholic Charities of Chenango County’s primary food pantry, has seen 69 new families visit the pantry. So far in November, they have provided food to 398 households, 393 children, 59 elderly recipients, and served over 8,370 meals. The Food Bank of Central New York, which serves Chenango County, distributed 819,017 lbs. of food to Chenango County between July 2024 and June 2025, and are already seeing increased levels and visits at their 28 Chenango County partner pantries in recent months.

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.

Robin Cotter, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Chenango County said, “While our pantry has started to stabilize due to the short-term refunding of SNAP benefits, the fear that these benefits will not be maintained at their current level has created anxiety amongst our low-income population. Any negative effect on SNAP funding will directly increase the demand for our local food pantry resources. We currently serve over 10,000 Chenango County residents with supplemental food packages that rely on SNAP benefits as a means to feed their families. Based on the trend we have witnessed, the long-term reduction in benefits would be unsustainable for pantries and food providers. We are working closely with our Social Service District in Chenango County to help prepare for a targeted response to any future changes or delays. Overall, without SNAP funding there would not be enough local resources to support the increased need.”

Les Aylesworth, Director of CHOW (Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse) at the Broome County Council of Churches said, "In Broome County, over 15,000 families depend on SNAP to make their nutritional ends meet. The shut down and lack of funding underscored how important SNAP is, but also how important the emergency food system is as well. At the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW), we had a 500-600 percent increase in folks looking for food because of the lack of SNAP funding; but too many depending on pantries for their daily needs is unsustainable. It is important that SNAP is adequately funded so that people can feed their families."

Maggie Johnson, Executive Director of Community Cupboard of Edmeston, said, “SNAP benefits impact families in ways that are not normally taken into account with these discussions. The dignity and confidence that a family has when they're able to purchase their own food, make their own choices, and address their own dietary needs without intervention or additional questions is immeasurable. The impact on communities when SNAP is fully funded goes beyond groceries. It improves the entire network of those working in food access, both commercially and charitably, building local infrastructure and access points to improve the lives of all those who are impacted by these cuts.”

Karen Belcher, President & CEO, Food Bank of Central New York said, “As we saw earlier this month, disruptions to SNAP have a very real and very immediate impact on our neighbors, and in turn on our communities and network of partners. SNAP is the first line of defense in the nutrition safety net, providing children, seniors, and families with the resources they need to access nutritious food. During the disruption to SNAP that took place a few weeks ago, our network saw a significant increase in demand. November 2025 is only the second time that Food Bank of Central New York eclipsed 1 million pounds distributed in the first 12 days – the first time being June 2020 at the height of the pandemic. We know that the changes to SNAP included in H.R. 1 will cause an increase in requests for food assistance from our network. The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 would reverse the harmful changes to SNAP signed into law earlier this year, and we thank Sen. Schumer for his support of this vital program.”

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