Impact of the ‘Big Ugly Bill’ on Food Security

Governor Kathy Hochul today sounded the alarm on how the Republican budget reconciliation bill will affect the nation’s largest food assistance program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), undermining a program that millions of New Yorkers rely on to put food on the table every single day. Estimates indicate the reconciliation bill would shift exorbitant costs to states across the country, including New York, where up to an additional $2.1 billion annually would be forced on State and local county governments.

“Every New Yorker deserves to eat every day – plain and simple.” Governor Hochul said. “I’m calling on our congressional leaders to join me and step up to the plate to protect the SNAP funding that families with children, seniors, New Yorkers with disabilities, local farmers, and shop owners rely on to survive.”

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federally funded program overseen by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and administered by local departments of social services. In New York, SNAP helps over 1.7 million households and 2.9 million recipients - most of whom are children, older adults or disabled - afford the cost of purchasing healthy, nutritious food. SNAP benefits are already relatively modest, with an average benefit of $7 per day, but this support is a vital lifeline for households. Over 14 percent of New York’s population, or 1 out of every 7 New Yorkers, relies on SNAP. As a result, SNAP is New York’s most effective tool in combating hunger and food insecurity, which are core priorities of Governor Hochul’s administration.

In addition to supporting individuals and families and fighting hunger, SNAP also provides vital support to local economies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) own research has shown that investments in SNAP have significant multiplier effects, with every SNAP dollar generating $1.54 in economic activity as recipients spend their benefits in communities, including at grocery stores, farmers markets, small businesses, and more. A total of approximately $7.8 billion in SNAP benefits are issued annually in New York, which means $12 billion in economic activity is generated annually across the state, in urban, suburban, and rural areas alike.

New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner, and Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC) Co-Chair Barbara C. Guinn said, “The cuts and policy changes proposed by Congress to SNAP would weaken the program and make it harder for low-income families in New York to afford groceries, worsening food insecurity and economic hardship in communities across our state. These proposals pose a grave threat to an effective and efficient program, which research consistently and clearly shows reduces hunger, supports work, and stimulates the economy – goals with national importance that justify continued federal investment. We encourage congressional leaders to act responsibly and not walk away from what has long been a federal commitment to fully funding SNAP benefits for all who are eligible.

New York State Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner, and CPRAC Member Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden said, “The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is one of the most powerful tools we have to address chronic hunger across New York State, where more than one in seven New Yorkers is facing food insecurity. The proposed federal cuts to this program are unfathomable - that children and families will lack basic needs such as food will have catastrophic implications. Governor Hochul has championed the overall health, well being and economic security through multiple investments; yet, she cannot do this alone. We implore our Congressional leaders to oppose these cuts and preserve the funding that is vital to enabling the most vulnerable members of our community to keep food on the table.”

By The Numbers: Shifting Exorbitant Costs onto States and Local Governments

The proposals in the Republican reconciliation bill, supported by all of New York’s Republican Congressional delegation, threaten an effective and efficient program, which research consistently and clearly shows reduces hunger, supports work and stimulates the economy, by imposing exorbitant, unsustainable costs on states:

• The federal government has always funded 100 percent of SNAP benefits. For the first time in the history of the program, under the GOP bill, the federal government is walking away from that commitment by shifting significant portions of the cost onto states, forcing difficult state budgetary decisions. For New York State, Republicans would shift between 15 percent and 25 percent of the benefit cost, totaling up to $1.9 billion annually in additional costs for the State and local governments.
• The federal government and states have historically evenly split the administrative costs of the program. For the first time in the history of the program, under the GOP’s reconciliation bill, the federal government would require states to contribute significantly more for administrative costs, increasing the state share to 75 percent. For New York State, more than $200 million in additional administrative costs would be shifted annually on to the State and local governments.
• The GOP bill also eliminates funding for SNAP education programs that teach recipients how to get the greatest fiscal and nutritional value from their SNAP benefits. This would strip roughly $29 million from New York State and our SNAP recipients.
• In total, the SNAP-related cost shifts put forward by the GOP will cost New York State and local county governments up to $2.1 billion a year, which cannot be absorbed at the state or local level and would cause significant state and local budgetary impacts.

By The Numbers: Changes to SNAP Work Requirements:

Beyond the proposed cost shifts, Republicans also target SNAP recipients by significantly expanding the populations who are subject to overly punitive and administratively complex work reporting requirements without any additional support to those recipients:

• Certain recipients would be required to prove that they work 80 hours per month, with limited qualifying work options and regardless of other factors such as economic conditions. Recipients who are unable to meet this requirement after three months, regardless of the circumstances or reasons why, would then be cut off and prohibited from receiving SNAP for three years.
• Republicans would extend these reporting requirements, harsher time limits, and related prohibitions to more groups, including to families with children as young as seven and to individuals as old as 64. The bill provides no additional funding to support states in assisting these new populations to connect to jobs or training or to provide necessary supportive services such as child care and transportation.
• State flexibility to administer the program would be severely curtailed by limiting states’ ability to request waivers for areas with high unemployment, where residents may be having difficulty finding work due to broader economic factors
• These requirements create barriers for people with unstable jobs, caregiving responsibilities, or health conditions. Enforcing these rules adds complexity, increases the risk of errors, and takes needed resources that would be better used to support beneficiaries and administer the program. In fact, research published on the USDA's own website shows that increased work requirements reduced SNAP enrollment for those subject to the time limit and found no evidence that they increase employment or annual earnings.

It is estimated that over 300,000 households, including families with children, seniors, youth aging out of foster care, people experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, and veterans would be impacted by these changes, losing all or a portion of their SNAP benefits, resulting in a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in SNAP benefits for some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers on an annual basis.

By The Numbers: Impact on New York Farmers and Retailers:

Beyond worsening food insecurity and malnutrition, cuts to the program would hurt local businesses and weaken SNAP’s ability to boost local economies in every state. Slashing families' grocery budgets would reduce revenue for thousands of businesses in every state, with ripple effects throughout the food supply chain.

• Cascading impact leading to job losses, small business closures, and lost revenue for businesses across the state of all shapes and sizes, from independent grocers to chain retailers
• Lost sales and matching dollars having critical impact on over 18,000 retailers that accept SNAP in New York State and local economies. This includes grocery stores, local shops, and hundreds of SNAP-authorized local farmers, farmers’ markets, and farm stands that can be found in every county in New York selling New York agricultural products to the people in their local community. SNAP sales in the farming community have dramatically increased since 2019, providing New York consumers access to healthy, farm fresh foods and providing our farm communities additional economic development dollars. As the State matches SNAP dollars spent at farm markets through the Fresh2You FreshConnect program, the hit to farms of decreased SNAP funding is doubled.

Combating Food Insecurity in New York State

Governor Hochul has prioritized increasing access to food for all New Yorkers, supporting several groundbreaking programs that focus on improving access to locally grown foods including through SFY 2026 Budget, including the 30 Percent NYS Initiative for school meals, the Farm-to School program, the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs, the Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grants Programs, and the Nourish NY program, which helps New York’s network of emergency food providers purchase food from New York farmers to give to families in need.

This year’s Budget also provides $340 million for school meals, a $160 million (89 percent) year-to-year increase, and requires all school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools that participate in the national school lunch and breakfast program to provide free breakfast and lunch meals to all students regardless of their families’ income, thereby reducing costs for families and ensuring that no student goes hungry at school. Additionally, the Budget included the third round of funding as part of the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program, which provides $50 million over five years to support regional cooking facilities that will facilitate the use of fresh New York State farm products in meal preparation for K-12 school children.

Senator Charles Schumer said, “The Republican ‘Big Ugly Bill’ will be the largest and cruelest cuts to food assistance in American history – all to pay for tax cuts to billionaires and corporations. If this Congressional Republican plan goes through, it would deal New York State a $2 billion blow, taking food from hungry kids and seniors. Local governments would carry the burden in a way they’ve never had to before, forced to make impossible decisions about who gets to keep their food benefits and who will be forced to go hungry. The GOP must step up and protect over 300,000 New York families and seniors in danger of losing their food benefits instead of pushing through tax cuts for the rich and powerful special interests.”

Representative Jerry Nadler said, “The Republican reconciliation bill is a direct attack on food security in New York. It would gut billions from SNAP and other essential lifelines, forcing states to either absorb the cost or leave families without the support they need. In my district alone, one in seven households relies on SNAP to put food on the table. Under this bill, the average benefit would fall to less than five dollars a day. No one can feed themselves with dignity on that. These cuts are not only cruel and shortsighted, they are economically reckless. When families have less to spend on food, the entire community feels the impact. From neighborhood bodegas to upstate farmers, over 18,000 New York retailers could face lost sales, job cuts, or closures. SNAP dollars support small businesses, strengthen local economies, and enable people to purchase fresh, healthy food in their communities. I am fighting to stop this bill from becoming law because in the United States of America, no one should ever go hungry, especially so that billionaires can receive another tax break.”

Representative Adriano Espaillat said, “For nearly a century, America has extended a lifeline to its most vulnerable families to ensure no child goes hungry, no matter their race, religion, or economic background. Today, however, Republicans are seeking to break that sacred agreement by cutting food stamps and other benefits that nearly 300,000 families in my district and more than 1.6 million across New York rely on. Families receive SNAP assistance because they need it, not because they want it. Those who pretend otherwise threaten to bankrupt state and local governments, upend vulnerable communities, and set back the generations of progress we have made to strengthen food security around our nation.”

Representative Nydia M. Velázquez said, “The Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill is a direct attack on the most vulnerable New Yorkers, including working families, children, people with disabilities, and seniors who rely on SNAP to put food on the table. This bill guts a program that nearly 3 million New Yorkers depend on and that drives billions in local economic activity, all to fund tax breaks for billionaires. It is a disaster for our state, and I will keep fighting to make sure it never becomes law.”

Representative Paul Tonko said, “The GOP’s ‘big ugly bill’ is an outrageous assault on the most vulnerable in our communities. By slashing critical food assistance programs like SNAP, this legislation would rip away earned benefits from families, children, and seniors — leaving millions of Americans to go hungry while billionaires enjoy trillions in tax breaks. These cuts will not only deepen poverty and hardship across our state and our nation, they’ll also shift crushing costs onto state and local governments, forcing states and municipalities to choose between drastic tax hikes or devastating service cuts. In the coming weeks, I’ll be working tirelessly to defeat this cruel, backward agenda and protect the programs that keep our communities healthy and strong.”

Representative Joe Morelle said, “President Trump’s plan to cut funding for essential programs like SNAP would leave millions of working families struggling to put food on the table. I’m proud to support legislation that protects SNAP and Medicaid and keeps these lifeline programs fully funded. While Congressional Republicans continue to back the President’s cruel and chaotic agenda, I’ll keep fighting to protect working families and the services they count on because no child should ever have to wonder where their next meal is coming from.”

Representative Tom Suozzi said, "Every individual deserves access to a meal every day. This is not just a privilege; it is a fundamental necessity that must be recognized and advocated for to ensure the dignity and well-being of all. If federal cuts to SNAP are enacted, it will lead to a preventable crisis and constitute the most significant reduction in food assistance in history. Americans young and old will go hungry. Simply put, SNAP benefits help put food on the table for our most vulnerable communities."

Representative Pat Ryan said, “Hardworking Hudson Valley families are feeling the pressure to make ends meet – the last thing folks need is to have food literally taken off of their plates. In my district alone, more than 74,000 people – including children, seniors, and veterans – rely on SNAP for consistent access to nutritious foods. It is unconscionable and cruel for this administration to rip that away. I’m going to keep fighting with everything I’ve got to stop these cuts – the lives of my constituents depend on it.”

Representative George Latimer said, “The reckless Republican reconciliation bill, which lays out hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to SNAP, is unacceptable. I voted against these cuts each time that they came to the House floor because of the devastating impact they would have on vulnerable New Yorkers who rely on SNAP for their survival. In NY-16, covering parts of Westchester and the Bronx, we have 74,000 people who depend on SNAP. While the GOP focuses on securing tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of struggling Americans, my Democratic colleagues and I will continue to stand in opposition to these actions and do everything we can to address food insecurity for the millions of Americans who count on SNAP benefits to put food on the table, as every American deserves to be able to do.”

Representative Timothy M. Kennedy said, “In communities across Western New York, we continue to see an increased need for food assistance as families struggle to make ends meet and inflation raises grocery prices. Food is a basic human right, and we have the tools to eradicate hunger in America. The absolute last thing we should be doing to families that are teetering on the edge is to rip the rug out from under them by cutting SNAP benefits. The Republican reconciliation bill is an affront to working families and must be rejected.”

Representative John W. Mannion said, “I voted against this bill because it’s cruel and immoral to take food assistance away from children, seniors, and veterans. In NY-22, over 50,000 households rely on SNAP—and food insecurity is higher today than it was during the pandemic. This bill threatens our families, burdens our local governments, and pulls support from the people who need it most. I’ll continue to reject these devastating cuts and advocate for the better path forward – a five-year farm bill that supports farmers and everyone who depends on American agriculture.”

Representative Josh Riley said, "I grew up believing every kid deserves a full belly and a fair shot — that’s not negotiable. This bill would rip food away from families in need and gut the small-town stores and farms that feed our communities. I’ll fight it with everything I’ve got, because nobody in Upstate New York should ever go hungry while billionaires get another tax break.”

Acting Co-Chair of CPRAC Peter Hatch said, "SNAP helps feed our families, fund our grocery stores, and support our farmers, with decades of research showing how it improves children's long-term health, reduces poverty, and boosts local economies as recipients spend their benefits. The Republican budget bill would increase hunger and poverty among children, reduce economic activity in communities, and force immense costs onto states and counties that we cannot afford, just as New York is making progress reducing child poverty. On behalf of New York's CPRAC, we strongly oppose any action that would take SNAP away from the millions of children across the country who rely on it, and urge the Senate to protect this essential program, so that children can continue to receive the sustenance they need to thrive."

New York State Council on Children and Families Executive Director, and CPRAC Member Vanessa Threatte said, “When children and families experience hunger, it has severe and sweeping negative consequences on their physical and mental health, cognitive development, academic outcomes, family functioning, and overall well-being. By recognizing the intersectionality of food insecurity, and ensuring continued access to critical food programs, such as SNAP, all New York children and families can live their healthiest lives and communities can thrive.”

Robin Hood CEO and CPRAC Member Rich Buery said, “Cutting SNAP is not just a moral failure—it’s an economic disaster that would set us back in the fight against child poverty. The data is clear: for every dollar we take away from families trying to put food on the table, we lose up to twenty dollars in future health, education, and economic productivity nationwide, according to an analysis by Columbia University. These cuts would harm our children, burden our healthcare and legal systems, and stall the progress we’ve made. We’ve come too far to pull the rug out from under children and families of New York State. Their well-being is the foundation of our shared future.”

United Way of New York City President and CEO, and CPRAC Member Grace Bonilla said, “Funding for SNAP is a critical part of how New Yorkers maintain dignified access to nutritious food. We know from United Way of New York City’s True Cost of Living Report that 50 percent of working-age people in New York City are struggling to cover their basic needs—including food. SNAP represents the promise that despite having wages that do not keep up with the cost of living, our country cares and invests in our seniors, our children, and all vulnerable Americans so that they should not have to go hungry in the richest country in the world. The reconciliation bill is a dagger on that promise and on the precarious budgets of our most vulnerable and the budgets of cities and states across the country. It is the responsibility of every congressional leader to do what is in the best interest of the people they serve — safeguard funding for SNAP.”

Regional Economic Development Council Mohawk Valley Executive Director and CPRAC Member Shelly Callahan said, "SNAP is not just a lifeline — it’s a foundation for long-term stability, public health, and economic mobility. Cuts to SNAP would not only harm vulnerable families, but they would also undermine local economies, like that of the Mohawk Valley, that depend on a healthy, stable population. We can’t build a stronger New York by taking food off the tables of those working hardest to achieve self-sufficiency. At our refugee center, we witness every day the resilience of families rebuilding their lives after fleeing unimaginable hardship. SNAP is not just a safety net — it's a bridge to stability, health and dignity.”

Guthrie Lourdes Hospital President and CEO, and CPRAC Member Kathy Connerton said, "SNAP is more than a budget line item. It's a vital safety net that upholds the fundamental human right to nutritious food. When we protect SNAP funding, we affirm that every New Yorker deserves the dignity and security of knowing where their next meal will come from. This essential program forms the bedrock of daily life for our children, seniors and residents with disabilities ensuring they can not only survive but thrive. Compromising SNAP puts our most vulnerable neighbors in crisis and undermines the collective well-being of our entire community.”

New York City Human Resources Administration Administrator and CPRAC Member Scott French said, “SNAP serves as a lifeline for 1.8 million New York City residents and fuels economic growth across our local communities. We absolutely cannot afford the magnitude of cuts being proposed in the budget reconciliation bill. We urge leaders in Congress to recognize what’s at stake for working class New Yorkers who keep the city running, vulnerable seniors and children who rely on this critical anti-hunger program to survive, and local farmers and businesses that benefit from SNAP spending. As part of our mandate to strengthen pathways to economic mobility for low-income New Yorkers, we will continue to sound the alarm to ensure that no child goes hungry, and families aren’t forced to choose between putting food on the table or paying the rent.”

Community Action Organization of Western New York President and CEO, and CPRAC Member Dr. Marie Cannon said, “At the Community Action Organization of Western New York, we see firsthand how vital SNAP is for families striving toward self-sufficiency. These proposed federal cuts would not only strip essential food resources from our most vulnerable neighbors—they would undercut the very progress we’ve made in fighting multigenerational poverty. We urge our federal leaders to reject these changes and protect the safety net that gives hope and dignity to millions of Americans.”

No Kid Hungry New York Director Rachel Sabella said, “With food prices continuing to climb and New Yorkers' incomes not keeping pace, SNAP remains one of our most powerful tools to fight hunger and keep kids nourished and healthy. Meanwhile, budget proposals from both the U.S. House and Senate would unnecessarily hurt working families and states trying to administer SNAP while needlessly punishing retailers and farmers in New York and across the country, pushing fragile local economies to their limits. In a recent poll of New Yorkers, 91% told No Kid Hungry that ending childhood hunger should be a bipartisan goal. We need the entire New York congressional delegation to reject these proposed cuts to SNAP and protect programs that are proven to reduce hunger, support families, and strengthen local economies.”

Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy President and CEO, and CPRAC Member Kate Breslin said, “New York State is working to create a future where every child has what they need to thrive. By erecting barriers to food access, Congress is making it harder for families who are struggling to eat every day and limiting opportunities to thrive. Our federal leaders must preserve food security for our children and families – without additional barriers or cuts that hurt families and create problems for states and local communities.”

The Children’s Agenda CEO Larry Marx said, "More than 360,000 children in the state of New York are fed in families relying on SNAP and the proposed cuts in the federal reconciliation will compromise their access to food. SNAP is a lifeline for children whose families are experiencing financial hardships. Hunger has devastating impacts on a child's health, learning, and well-being. Nourishing our most vulnerable and precious population, our children, should not be a partisan issue. Congress should reject the proposals to cut SNAP."

Food Industry Alliance of New York State President and CEO Mike Durant said, “Reducing SNAP dollars in New York will not only threaten this essential program, but also have a cascading impact leading to job losses, decreased revenue, and further strain on state and local services. The retail food industry encourages lawmakers in Congress to work toward a solution which preserves SNAP without negatively impacting our communities and economy.”

Farmers Market Federation of New York Executive Director Jack Riffle said, "SNAP plays a critical role in supporting food security for New Yorkers and an increasingly larger role for New York State farms, farmers' markets, and local economies. With the help of New York's generous SNAP incentive program, FreshConnect, SNAP benefit purchases now exceed $10 million annually at authorized farmers' markets around the state. As an organization representing New York farmers' markets and farmers, our federation urges NY lawmakers to consider the value of funding SNAP for NY farm vendors, NY customers, and NY communities."

Westchester Children’s Association Executive Director and CPRAC Member Allison Lake said, “Feeding all our children should be a baseline for our country. SNAP ensures some of our most vulnerable families can put food on the table. The proposed cuts and administrative burdens by the reconciliation bill will directly impact the health and wellbeing of children. The growing need is everywhere, in one of the wealthiest counties in the country, Westchester County, NY, our latest data publication shows the Child Feeding program provides 80,000 meals on average to children per month. Congress can and should do better by the hardworking families of Westchester County, New York State, and the nation.”

Context Matters Strategy Group Partner and CPRAC Member Dr. Dia N. Bryant said, “Cuts to SNAP aren’t just budget decisions—they are moral decisions. When we reduce access to food assistance, we’re signaling that some families, some children, are less deserving of dignity and nourishment. In New York, where disparities already run deep, these changes will push more families into crisis and more children into classrooms hungry. We cannot build a just and thriving state by taking from those who have the least.”