The current session of Congress is about to adjourn, but funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, has not yet been approved. The next Congress, which will be controlled by Republicans advocating for cuts to SNAP benefits, could impact around 2 million people in New York state.
Funding for food stamps must be allocated by Congress according to the federal Farm Bill. With the current Congress set to adjourn by the end of this year, there is not much time left to approve the funding. The city government of New York and hunger-fighting organizations are urging Congress to pass the funding quickly. They are concerned that if the decision is delayed until the new Congress takes office next year, with Republicans in control of both the House and Senate, food stamps are more likely to face cuts.
Molly Wasow Park, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Social Services, told Gothamist that cutting food stamp benefits not only severely affects low-income families but also has a ripple effect on the economy of the city. It would put even greater pressure on the emergency relief system of the city.
House Republicans have already introduced an Agriculture Bill this year that gradually limits the expansion of food stamp benefits, thereby reducing the allocated funds. According to the analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), this bill is expected to cut approximately $30 billion in food stamp funding over the next decade. The food stamp benefits would decrease from the current average of $6.20 per person per day to $4.80. In 2023, the average monthly food stamp assistance in New York City was $196 per person.
According to a survey conducted by Hunger Free America in August-September of this year, about 1.9 million residents in the state indicated they “often” or “sometimes” do not have enough food, marking a 76% increase from the same period in 2021. In the New York metropolitan area (including parts of New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania), nearly 1.7 million people reported not having enough food, a 67% increase from the same period in 2021.
Gothamist reported that Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, believes that the increase in these numbers is due to the cessation of benefits during the pandemic over the past three years.