WITH THANKSGIVING AROUND THE CORNER AND FOOD BANKS STRUGGLING AS NEW GOP SNAP CUTS TAKE EFFECT, SCHUMER ANNOUNCES NEW LEGISLATION TO PROTECT SNAP, WHICH NEARLY 200,000 WESTERN NY FAMILIES, SENIORS, & VETS RELY ON, 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 Banks, And Now Is Announcing New Legislation To Keep Western NY 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 food banks prepare to 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 Warming House, the St. Bonaventure University soup kitchen, 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. 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 200,000 in Western New York. A county-by-county breakdown for those in Western New York 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 Western NY and the nation, local food security organizations and pantries in Cattaraugus County are facing an alarming surge in demand. In 2024, the Warming House, St. Bonaventure’s 51-year-old student-run soup kitchen, provided over 22,000 meals to the community, reflecting a significant rise in need since 2021. Similarly, FeedMore WNY saw a 27% increase in demand across Cattaraugus County since 2021, reaching nearly 11,000 people in 2024 alone. The Olean Food Pantry had also experienced a sharp uptick, more than doubling its pre-pandemic service levels to assist over 27,000 individuals and families in 2024.

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. In Cattaraugus County alone, the number of people helped by FeedMore WNY has increased 27% in the last three years,” 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.”

“For 51 years — no matter what else is going on in the world around us — the Warming House has been solely focused on serving the needs of the people of this community and has always been a wonderful representation of our Franciscan mission,” said Fr. Stephen Mimnaugh, O.F.M., vice president for Mission Integration. “St. Bonaventure students have responded to the needs of the greater Olean area by providing a place to gather, enjoy community, experience belonging and, of course, receive a hot, nutritious meal. We thank Sen. Schumer for honoring the same values we Franciscans hold dear.”

Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, said, “Our new survey of New York State families with an annual income below $100,000 found that, over the past year, 75% faced higher costs of living and that more than twice as many said it became harder for them to afford food. On top of that, our separate survey of food charities across New York State found that 88% of these programs reported feeding an increasing number of New Yorkers in the last year, and 76% didn’t have enough food to meet the growing demand. These reports prove that sky-high living costs, combined with the overall decline of the middle class and massive cuts by conservatives to the social service safety net, have caused a major hunger crisis statewide in New York. Senator Schumer understands these threats better than anyone, which is why we stand firmly with him to support his calls for federal policy changes to slash U.S. hunger by repealing recent cuts, strengthening the middle class, and boosting economic opportunity for all.”

“The Olean Food Pantry is a crucial link to combating poverty and food insecurity across Western New York by providing immediate, nutritious relief to thousands of hungry families, children, seniors and individuals every week,” said Dave Potter, President of Olean Food Pantry. “We are directly impacted by the urgent need for increased anti-hunger programming and support, and constantly prepare for long-term demand increases due to ongoing economic uncertainty with thinly stretched resources. New federal restrictions to SNAP in 2026 will result in an aggravated regional hunger crisis. Our clients rely on the Olean Food Pantry as a critical community safety net, and we count on and are grateful for legislation that will strengthen food insecurity programs.”

“As a representative payee, I work closely with individuals who rely on fixed, often very limited incomes, and I see firsthand the consequences of recent SNAP delays,” said Jessica Burkett, a Representative Payee at Directions in Independent Living. “These delays and cuts create immediate gaps in food access, increased stress, and a heightened risk of health decline for the people I serve. Due to the delay, individuals living on very low fixed incomes were forced to use their limited personal funds for food that would have otherwise been covered by SNAP, leaving them unable to meet other essential needs. These unmet needs include critical medications, co-pays for medical and mental-health appointments, transportation to essential services, basic hygiene items, and, in some cases, stable housing costs such as utilities or partial rent contributions. For many, even small, unexpected expenses can destabilize their entire monthly budget. When SNAP fails to arrive on time, these individuals are forced into impossible choices: skipping medications, missing appointments, losing access to transportation, or failing behind on bills – each of which directly threatens their health and stability.”

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