Albany, NY – July 15, 2025 – Earlier this month, Congress passed a reconciliation package, commonly referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” that includes unprecedented cuts to food assistance, healthcare, and education programs. Feeding New York State, the statewide association of New York’s food banks, urges the public to demand that their members of Congress reverse course and repeal the many harmful provisions included in this bill.
At a time when nearly 3 million New Yorkers are struggling to afford food and millions more are living paycheck to paycheck, we’re appalled that elected representatives in Washington, D.C. voted to take food off the tables of children, older adults, and veterans to transfer trillions of dollars to the wealthiest households in America. It should also be noted that every majority member of the House of Representatives from New York supported this bill.
So what does the bill do? On food assistance, the bill threatens SNAP access for over 300,000 New Yorkers – specifically older adults, children, and veterans. The bill also strips SNAP eligibility for around 25,000 refugees and asylees who are lawfully residing in New York. Beginning in October of 2026, New York State and localities will be forced to absorb more than $200 million in additional administrative costs just to maintain existing operations for SNAP. In the years to come, however, New York could be forced to absorb another $2 billion just to fund benefit levels that New Yorkers are entitled to—meaning our state will have to raise taxes, reduce services, or cut SNAP benefits to make the math work.
Beyond SNAP, the bill would risk Medicaid coverage for over 1 million New Yorkers. Lack of health insurance is directly linked with forgoing necessary medical care and preventive health services, which could lead to higher mortality rates. Also threatened are rural hospitals in New York, who are already experiencing financial distress and at risk of closing. Loan repayment will also become more difficult for student debtors, who experience disproportionately high rates of food insecurity.
Needless to say, this legislation continues a 50-year assault on safety net programs and the working class. The Rand Corporation, for example, estimates that nearly $80 trillion of wealth has been transferred from the bottom 90% to the very wealthiest families since the mid-1970s. So where do we go from here? Our association believes that we must organize, with urgency, to demand that all New Yorkers are guaranteed their basic economic rights without conditions.
No matter the challenges, there is no greater force than people coming together to demand justice. The historical movements that have succeeded did not give up in the face of setbacks, and this movement is no exception.
Together, we must unify our community to end hunger in New York.
