October 3, 2026
Dear Friends,
Last summer, almost every Republican in Congress voted to pass Donald Trump’s Big Ugly Bill — thereby enacting the largest cuts to healthcare and food assistance in American history. Despite an outpouring of opposition from hospitals, businesses, labor unions, and their own constituents, Republicans chose to commit one of the most egregious betrayals of the American public in our nation’s history by stripping away essential benefits from tens of millions of Americans — causing pain, hunger, and hardship in every community. Now, as families across the country struggle to deal with rising costs on everything from groceries to gasoline, that pain is set to grow even more severe as new changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) come into effect.
This week, the federal government is slashing its share of SNAP’s administrative costs from 50 percent to 25 percent — forcing states to shoulder 75 percent of the burden of running the program. Under this new provision, states and counties will have to double their share of the costs required to pay caseworkers, fund fraud prevention efforts, and administer the online platforms used to process benefits — a shift that will add an additional $3.4 billion in annual costs for states and counties nationwide. In our state alone, the New York State Association of Counties estimates that counties will need to account for $168 million each year in new costs to administer the SNAP program.
These changes aren’t just shifting spending from one budget column to another. State officials have warned that these unprecedented changes will force devastating cuts to the infrastructure supporting the SNAP program — slowing enrollment processing and making it harder for eligible families to access their benefits. And next year, when certain states will be required for the first time to contribute toward the cost of SNAP benefits themselves, those states will be forced to add another $11 billion per year to their increasingly stretched budgets. With $187 billion already slashed from SNAP thanks to the Big Ugly Bill, these new cuts could not come at a worse time.
Experts estimate that the SNAP cuts included in the Big Ugly Bill will result in more than 40 million Americans, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 1.2 million veterans, and 4 million people with disabilities having their benefits reduced. More than 5 million Americans have already lost all access to SNAP benefits — a figure that includes an estimated 1.5 million children and nearly 5,000 residents of our Capital Region. And with food prices skyrocketing across the nation, American families can ill afford the additional burdens now taking effect.
In the wealthiest nation in the world, kids shouldn’t be going to school hungry. Parents shouldn’t have to choose between paying their bills and putting food on the table. Veterans shouldn’t be left without the benefits they’ve earned. That’s why I’m supporting a number of measures in Congress to increase SNAP funding and help families access the nutritional assistance they need. These bills include:
These bills and measures like them are essential to prevent a further increase in hunger in our communities, and I’ll continue to work tirelessly to ensure every American family can put food on their table.
Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress have repeatedly demonstrated that they are wildly out of touch with the needs and wishes of the American people. From launching a senseless war in Iran to slashing essential healthcare and food assistance benefits, their actions have led to chaos overseas and a crushing affordability crisis here at home. Americans deserve much better than these cruel, reckless policies, and I hope that when I return to Washington in November, I’ll be joined by colleagues who are ready to deliver the immediate relief Americans need.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from governments and agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- On Wednesday, October 14th at 6:00 PM, the Office of the New York State Comptroller is hosting an informational meeting regarding the NY ABLE Savings Program (NY ABLE) at the William K. Sanford Town Library in Loudonville.
- The NY ABLE program helps individuals with disabilities and their families to save for qualified disability-related expenses without limiting their ability to benefit from federal benefit programs like SSI, SSDI, and Medicaid.
- NY ABLE offers multiple investment options including a checking account and a debit card option allowing individuals with disabilities to maintain their independence and have quick and easy access to their own money.
- Earnings on these investments can grow tax-deferred and are tax-free if withdrawals are used for qualified disability expenses.
- At the informational meeting, you can learn more about the NY ABLE Program, including:
- How to save and invest your money without impacting federal benefits
- Who qualifies for an ABLE account
- Who can open an account on behalf of a qualified individual
- What an ABLE account can be used for
- And much more!
- The event will be held on Wednesday, October 14th at 6:00 PM at the William K. Sanford Town Library, located at 629 Albany Shaker Road, Loudonville, NY 12211.
- You can register for the event HERE, or click HERE to learn more about the NY ABLE Program online.
- If you require accessibility accommodations to attend this event, please call (518) 810-0314.
