Last Year Trump And Republicans Made The Largest Cut To SNAP In History - NEARLY $200 BILLION; In New York, SNAP Is Administered By Counties - Meaning Western New York Will Need To Find A Whopping $9.8+ MILLION To Keep Nutrition Assistance Flowing To Families and Veterans In Need, Including $211,000 For Wyoming County And $6.3 MILLION For Erie County

House And Senate GOP Have Refused To Reverse Cruel SNAP Cuts; Schumer Calls On Republicans To Work With Democrats To Write A Farm Bill That Restores SNAP & Helps Families Put Food On The Table For 193,000 New Yorkers In Western New York

Schumer: No Child Should Go Hungry - Any Farm Bill Must Protect SNAP

As New York counties scramble to find funding to keep SNAP alive after Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill made the largest program cuts in history, and Congressional Republicans refuse to act, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today stood at Warsaw Food Pantry at the United Church of Warsaw with families and local officials to launch his push for a two-year delay in cost shifts. In New York, counties administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and $9.8 million in new annual costs will fall directly on county budgets in Western New York, forcing counties to choose between raising local taxes or cutting food assistance for New Yorkers in need. As Congress works on the upcoming Farm Bill, Schumer urged Republicans to work with Democrats to meet the needs of families across the country suffering from skyrocketing costs of living and called on New York House Republicans to stand with New York families and local legislators against these cuts.

"198,000 New York families, kids, and seniors across Western New York depend on SNAP to put food on the table. But last year, Republicans passed the largest cut to SNAP in history, forcing Western New York counties and their taxpayers to pick up the tab," said Senator Schumer. "Now, Republicans want to move forward with a Farm Bill that would do nothing for hungry families or the counties. The Republicans' plan will immediately blow a $211,000 bill in the Wyoming County budget, and counties across the country will be forced to choose between raising local taxes and cutting food assistance for hungry kids, seniors, veterans, and families. It's just plain cruel."

Schumer added, "That's why I'm here today to announce that I will NOT support a Farm Bill that does not at least provide more time for states and counties to prepare to shoulder the cost of SNAP. A Republican Farm Bill that abandons hungry families is not a serious proposal. I urge Republicans, especially New York House Republicans, to come back to the table and write a Farm Bill that actually meets the moment: supporting farmers, strengthening rural America, protecting families, and ensuring Americans have enough to eat by reversing SNAP cuts."

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest anti-hunger program in the United States and a lifeline for nearly 3 million NY children, seniors, veterans, and families who rely on the critical funding to purchase groceries. Last year, Trump and Congressional Republicans rushed to pass a nearly $200 billion cut to SNAP, ripping away food from thousands of hungry kids and families across America.

Since SNAP is administered by counties in New York State, counties will be forced to shoulder the burden of increased SNAP costs, using more local dollars to administer the program because less federal funding will be coming in. During recessions or economic downturns, these impacts will be even more acute, as more people apply for benefits and state revenue declines, more children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and more will be turned away from this vital program due to insufficient funding. As Congress works on a five-year Farm Bill, which governs federal agricultural, food, and conservation programs, Schumer has said Democrats cannot support a Farm Bill until Republicans agree to include the two-year delay to the SNAP cost shift.

Just last week, Senate Republicans released the text of a five-year Farm Bill that fails to address SNAP cuts. In April, House Republicans passed a five-year Farm Bill that also failed to address SNAP cuts. Democrats stand united against any Farm Bill that does not include a two-year cost shift delay for SNAP, which would provide parity for New York with other states, like Alaska, which do not have to begin shouldering the cost of SNAP for another two years. There have been strong bipartisan calls to reverse course from governors, mayors, and state legislatures to support the cost-shift. Schumer is calling on New York House Republicans to join Democrats and their constituents in the fight against these cruel food assistance cuts.

Wyoming County Board of Supervisors Chairman James Brick said, "Effective October 1, 2026, the federal share for SNAP administrative costs will be reduced from 50% to 25%, which will increase the State/Local share from 50% to 75% which will mean Wyoming County will lose over $211,000 in federal funding every year at the same time that county staffs will have to shoulder new costs to administer new expanded requirements in order to efficiently deliver critical nutrition assistance to vulnerable residents. The current law grants some other states a two-year delay from this cost shift which is why we appreciate Senator Schumer's push to extend this delay to all states and counties, including New York State and Wyoming County. This will create an equal footing for all states and counties and provide the necessary time that counties need to best serve our residents."

Victoria Tiebor, CEO Wyoming County Community Action, Inc. said, "As the Director of Wyoming County Community Action, we try to meet people's needs for services, giving them a needed lift on their way back to independence. With new qualification parameters for SNAP nutritional benefits or changes in Medicaid regulations, we have been inundated with community members coming into our agency desperately needing help to feed their families or be able to provide medical coverage for themselves or their dependents. For many, the new guidelines make it much more difficult for those in need of obtaining the items and services of the very basics of humanity, food and care. We appreciate and thank Senator Schumer for caring about our rural area.

"For decades, SNAP has served as our nation's first line of defense against food insecurity, and we have already seen the local impact of how federal legislation has removed thousands of people from this critical program," said Julia Tedesco, President and CEO of Foodlink. "Shifting costs to states and counties will further reduce enrollment and put an overwhelming and untenable strain on the emergency food system. We fully support a delay in this cost-sharing policy, and a Farm Bill that helps put food on the table for those that need it most."

According to a report from the New York State Association of Counties, 2,548 New Yorkers in Wyoming County receive nearly $5 million in annual benefits through SNAP. The planned cost shift is expected to leave Wyoming County with an additional $211,764 in annual budget costs, at the same time as the county is already managing state and federal mandates, workforce shortages, rising service demands, and the property tax cap. The 2026 Wyoming County budget said that losing $211,000 in federal funding is a threat to the county budget.

Across Western New York, more than 193,000 New Yorkers receive $472 million in annual SNAP benefits. The planned cost shift is expected to shift more than $5.6 million in costs to counties in New York. A breakdown of annual benefits paid, individuals served, and county cost increases for counties in Western New York can be found below:

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