Almost three million New Yorkers, including nearly 75,000 here in Westchester County, rely on SNAP to put food on the table, yet Congress is advancing a budget bill that will cut more than $300 billion from the program.
These cuts would be devastating for low-income New Yorkers who are already struggling with rising costs and are counting on our federal representatives to help, not cut vital food assistance.
Tell Congress to reject cuts to SNAP.
Dear [Legislator],
I am writing to voice my strong opposition to proposed cuts to SNAP in the budget reconciliation bill and to urge you to firmly reject any cuts or harmful changes to this vital food assistance program. The majority of New York's 2.9 million SNAP recipients are children, seniors, or people with disabilities. Fifty-six thousand of those recipients are veterans. New Yorkers are already struggling with rising costs for basic needs, including food, and are counting on our federal representatives to help—not cut programs they rely on to put food on the table.
Proposals in the House and Senate would shift costs onto state budgets that cannot absorb them. In New York, these shifts would require the state to cover more than $1B each year for SNAP benefits while also cutting federal funds for program administration in half. There is no way to cut billions of dollars in federal funding for SNAP without harming families in our district and across the state. Faced with these shortfalls, New York will need to cut SNAP eligibility or benefits, raise taxes, or cut other vital state investments in our communities.
The proposals also expand harsh and ineffective work reporting requirements to older adults and households with school-age children, jeopardizing SNAP access for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. Research shows work requirements have no positive effect on employment outcomes; they simply reduce access to critical food assistance when people are struggling with unemployment, volatile hours, or seasonal labor market fluctuations.
I also strongly oppose restrictions to SNAP eligibility for many lawfully present immigrants, including refugees and people granted asylum—an estimated 25,000 of our neighbors here in New York.
The average SNAP benefit in FY26 is projected to be just $6.40 per person per day, covering less than two meals per day in New York. Proposals to restrict Thrifty Food Plan updates and utility deductions misrepresent the true costs of food and housing, reducing food benefits when New Yorkers are already struggling to make ends meet.
SNAP supports food security for New York families. As your constituent, I urge you to reject any cuts or harmful changes to food assistance programs and instead advance policies that help families meet their basic needs.
Thank you.
[Name]
