AS DEVASTATING GOP SNAP CUTS ARE SET TO SHIFT COST OF CRITICAL FOOD ASSISTANCE TO STATES AND COUNTIES AND INCREASE HUNGER, SCHUMER LAUNCHES PUSH TO DELAY SNAP COST SHIFTS TO[...]

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 The Rochester-Finger Lakes Region Will Need To Find A Whopping $5.6+ MILLION To Keep Nutrition Assistance Flowing To Families and Veterans In Need, Including $250,000 For Orleans County And $3 MILLION For Monroe 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 135,000 New Yorkers In The Rochester-Finger Lakes Region

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 Community Action of Orleans and Genesee 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 $5.6 million in new annual costs will fall directly on county budgets in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region, 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.

"135,000 New York families, kids, and seniors across the Rochester-Finger Lakes region depend on SNAP to put food on the table. But last year, Republicans passed the largest cut to SNAP in history, forcing Rochester-Finger Lakes 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 $250,000 bill in the Orleans 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.

Orleans County Legislature Chairman Lynne Johnson said, "We appreciate Senator Schumer's push for our county's work to effectively deliver the nutrition program supports that our residents rely on. The SNAP cost shifts that are set to hit New York counties this fall are a threat to Orleans County's budget, forcing reductions in staffing and delaying critical nutrition assistance for vulnerable residents. Under current law, some other states are granted a two-year delay from this cost shift, which is why we join Senator Schumer in calling for the upcoming Farm Bill to grant all states and counties, including New York State and Orleans County, the same two-year extension before any new cost obligations are triggered. We are committed to operating a strong and accurate SNAP program, and urge Congress to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that extends this delay to all states, treating SNAP agencies equally while providing the necessary time to invest in the staffing, training, and technology needed to best serve our residents."

Renee Hungerford, Executive Director and CEO at Community Action of Orleans & Genesee said, "Every day, we see how critical programs like SNAP are to the families we serve. Here at the Holley Center, each year we provide nearly 6,000 prepared meals for community members and serve as a vital site for food distribution-meeting people where they are. As the cost of basic goods continues to rise, the need for food assistance in our community only grows. Programs like SNAP, shaped through the Farm Bill, don't just help families put food on the table-they also support our local farmers, grocery stores, and rural economy. And when federal proposals shift more of those program costs onto states, it puts real pressure on counties like Orleans, where local resources are already stretched, increasing the strain on food pantries, community programs, and the families who rely on them every day."

"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, 4,836 New Yorkers in Orleans County receive nearly $11 million in annual benefits through SNAP. The planned cost shift is expected to leave Orleans County with an additional $251,765 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 Orleans County budget said that Republican cuts to SNAP will reduce federal government assistance for the county, impacting individuals served by SNAP.

Across the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region, more than 135,000 New Yorkers receive $345 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. The 2026 Monroe County budget said Trump's Medicaid and SNAP cuts will lead to a loss of federal funding and programmatic cuts that will severely impact the county's future. A breakdown of annual benefits paid, individuals served, and county cost increases for counties in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region can be found below:

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