Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling on Republicans in the chamber to block proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP.
A spending bill passed by House Republicans and now under consideration in the Senate would cut SNAP funding by nearly $300 billion over 10 years. During a stop in Rochester on Tuesday, Schumer said Senate Democrats are united in trying to stop the cuts.
"In the past, folks, SNAP has had bipartisan support," Schumer said during a news conference at Third Presbyterian Church on Meigs Street in Rochester. "It's passed the agriculture bills in the Senate over and over and over again with both Democratic and Republican support, but the House Republicans — in what is really can only be described as a cruel action — just slashed it. First time we've seen such a cut."
Schumer said that four Republican senators would need to vote with Democrats to block the proposed cut. Republicans have justified the reduction by saying it will help pay for tax cuts.
Foodlink, the region's food bank, estimates that the cut could affect the benefits of 155,000 people in the 10 counties it serves. During a recent interview, Foodlink President and CEO Julia Tedesco said SNAP benefits are a lifeline and a bridge out of poverty for many families.
"There will be a surge in need that no nonprofit in our region can make up for," Tedesco said. "We'll do the best we can, but families will definitely be left struggling."
During Tuesday's news conference, Doreen Young of Rochester said she needs SNAP benefits as a mother of six children. She added any plan that takes food away from people or families dealing with the soaring cost of living doesn't make sense.
"If people are struggling now, can you imagine what happens if this bill is passed?’’ she asked.
Foodlink has released data showing that food insecurity has been on the rise in the region. It reported that across its network of more than 350 food pantries and meal programs, there was a 40% increase in requests for food assistance from 2023 to 2024.
Foodlink said it and its partners received 1.86 million requests for food assistance last year.
In April, the Trump administration cut $500 million from a federal program that provided food banks and emergency food providers with free, healthy food from American farmers.
At the time, Tedesco said Foodlink learned it was losing 17 truckloads of food worth roughly $655,000 because of those cuts.