More than $180 billion in reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over the next decade will take effect in October. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wants Republicans in Congress to delay the cuts.
Speaking at the Unity House of Troy Monday, the New York Democrat called SNAP a "lifeline" to millions of Americans.
Schumer said the five-year Farm Bill advanced by Senate Republicans in June does not address SNAP cuts included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Donald Trump last year. The Farm Bill governs federal agricultural, food, and conservation programs.
"A farm bill that abandons hungry families is not serious," said Schumer. "It's a non-starter. ... under my leadership, Democrats will not consider any farm bill that doesn't address the cuts to SNAP."
In New York, SNAP benefits are administered by counties. In the Capital Region, over 100,000 people receive about $250 million in annual SNAP benefits. Figures provided by Schumer's office estimated that SNAP cuts will shift more than $4.4 million in costs to counties across the Capital Region.
Schumer said Congressional Republicans should at least include a two-year delay for the implementation of SNAP cuts, to give states and counties time to prepare for the increased financial burden.
Thomas Daniels, community resources program director at Unity House, said there has been a dramatic increase in usage of the food pantry over the past six to 12 months.
"There's a misunderstanding that the food pantry is for poor people," said Daniels. "Well, we are now starting to see it is not just for poor people; it is for people of single households. It is also now people with ... two adults in their households, and that is very alarming — the increase that we have seen."