Port Chester, NY – State Senator Shelley B. Mayer and U.S. Congressman George Latimer joined Feeding Westchester and the Carver Center in Port Chester, along with members of the Westchester County Board of Legislators Nancy Barr, Ben Boykin, Erika Pierce, Jewel Williams Johnson and Judah Holstein, today to sound the alarm about the devastating impact that President Donald Trump’s H.R.1, the alleged “One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB),” will have on SNAP benefits and food distribution in New York and specifically in Westchester County.

H.R. 1 reduces the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps Americans across the country put food on the table, by 20%, approximately $200 billion, forcing states and counties to compensate for the resulting need. Over the next several years, states and counties will face increases in the amount they are required to cover for SNAP benefits, placing undue stress on them to cover the costs. In sum, H.R. 1 forces $55 billion in SNAP benefits and administrative costs on the states, many of which will also be forced down to our counties. If states cannot cover the costs, they will be forced to eliminate or reduce the programs altogether.

H.R. 1 imposes additional and punitive work requirements for those eligible to receive SNAP benefits, many of whom already have work requirements. Effective once implementation guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is provided, SNAP’s work requirements will be expanded to include homeless individuals, young people who have recently aged out of childcare, veterans, adults aged 55-64, and adults with children aged 14 and older. It also restricts waivers of the work requirement to areas with an unemployment rate of over 10%.

Although undocumented immigrants individually were already ineligible to receive SNAP benefits, H.R.1 eliminates eligibility for those who were previously able to achieve SNAP, such as asylum seekers, documented refugees, and others with humanitarian immigration status.

The bill also restricts the USDA’s ability to update the Thrifty Food Plan, which is used to calculate SNAP benefits based on the lowest estimated cost of a nutritious diet. As inflation continues to grow, these changes will result in capping monthly SNAP benefits for many individuals and families as prices rise, further straining their ability to afford basic necessities.

Over the past 25 years, the number of Westchester residents receiving SNAP benefits has nearly doubled, reaching over 77,000 individuals in 2022. As the cost of living - particularly food and housing - continues to rise, more individuals and families are becoming eligible for SNAP benefit assistance. At the same time, food pantries across Westchester have also seen a rise in demand. Any cuts to SNAP benefits will increase the demand for food pantries, forcing even more people to rely on these already-strained volunteer efforts. It will also harm local groceries and food stores that rely on SNAP income while they serve neighborhood needs.

State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, "I am deeply distressed by the devastating impact H.R. 1 will have on our families and neighbors. These reckless and cruel cuts threaten many of our neighbors – children, seniors, veterans, disabled people, and working families who are already struggling to get by. We are fortunate to have great partners like Feeding Westchester and the Carver Center who work tirelessly every day to feed and serve members of our community. But we cannot continue to ask ever more of our neighbors and community organizations, who are already stretched thin, while our federal government turns its back on our neighbors. We will continue to stand up and fight to ensure every New Yorker has the basic dignity of being able to put food on the table and live without hunger within our State and county."

United States Rep. George Latimer said, “The Big Ugly law pushed by the House and President Trump was a victory of ideology over reality. In the real world, this will take food away from working families, seniors, and veterans. It will make life harder and more expensive for many people, increasing the burden on places like Feeding Westchester. They do incredible work keeping our community fed but they aren't meant to replace a program like SNAP. I will keep working with partners at every level of government to ensure food banks have the resources they need at this difficult time.”

Tami Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of Feeding Westchester, said, “Feeding Westchester, working with 175 partner organizations in our community, distributed over 21 million pounds of food last year, but the need has never been greater. With deep cuts to SNAP ahead, we’re incredibly concerned for Westchester residents – including single parents, veterans, working families, and seniors – who will be left with even fewer options to put food on the table. We are committed to working with leaders at all levels of government to ensure every neighbor has the food they need.”

Anne Bradner, CEO of the Carver Center, said, “Port Chester Carver Center is concerned for the health and welfare of our community in the face of anticipated cuts to government benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid. Port Chester’s working families struggle to make ends meet, due in large part to the high cost of housing in the area. In the last five years Carver Center has significantly increased the amount of free food we distribute in the community: 700,000 lbs. of food distributed; and 28,732 visits to our food pantry in the past year. Efforts to address food insecurity in Port Chester have traditionally been shared by government, nonprofits, and private funders. We expect an increase in demand for food and case management services and are concerned about our ability to meet that demand.”

State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said, “We are here because we believe every family deserves the dignity of food on the table and a fair chance to get ahead. This reconciliation bill will be devastating for parents filling a child’s lunchbox, seniors stretching every dollar, and veterans who have earned our respect and care. I’m proud to stand with Senator Shelley Mayer, Congressman George Latimer, and our partners at Feeding Westchester and the Carver Center to defend our neighbors. That promise must be kept, and it begins with rejecting cuts that strip hope from those who need it most.”

Assembly Member Chris Burdick said, “The budget cruelly slashes the safety net for the most vulnerable in our Nation, including $200 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP – formerly Food Stamps. New Yorkers' core values, regardless of political viewpoint, have long embraced helping those in need, who through no fault of their own, have fallen on hard times. These cruel cuts are unprecedented, unconscionable, and do not represent who we are as a people.”

Assemblyman Steve Otis said, “Having worked with the feeding and nutritional programs in every community on the Sound Shore I know how devastating the federal SNAP cuts will be to Westchester residents in need of food. We have outstanding not-for profits and houses of worship who have been serving Westchester’s hungry for decades. The need in our county is great but often hidden. These cuts will impact families and place greater burdens on our already pressed food bank network. The Congress and the president only care for people who have no needs, no problems, and no challenges in life. The cuts will have dire consequences.”

According to the United States House Agriculture Committee, H.R. 1 cuts SNAP benefits for the 42 million Americans who depend on SNAP, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans. The House Committee on Budget estimates that at least 317,000 people in NY could lose some or all of their food assistance, including the 74,000 people on SNAP in New York’s 16th Congressional District.

Feeding Westchester partners with organizations throughout the Westchester community, serving over 80,000 children every month, including in the Port Chester area Caritas, Carver Center, Don Bosco Community Center, El Shaddai Church of God, Ministerios El Shaddai, Mount Zion Baptist Church, Open Door Family Medical Center, Ridgeway Alliance Port Chester, Salvation Army Port Chester, Segunda Iglesias Pentecostal Church, and Terrace Avenue Apartments.