Proposed snap cuts threaten food security for 112,000 in Capital Region

RENSSELAER, NY (WRGB) — The Trump Administration is proposing to make the nation’s largest cut to federal snap benefits.

The government assistance program provides low-income, seniors, and disabled individuals food benefits so they can afford nutritious food at the grocery store.

The program is now in jeopardy- beneficiaries, food pantries, and advocates are sounding the alarm.

Ralph Watson, a disabled veteran from Troy relies on snap benefits and his local food pantry.

“If they cut my snack benefits by $50, my girlfriend and I will not be eating every day,” said Watson. “I don’t have an automobile, that’s the only thing I can get to.”

Watson is one of 112,000 in the Capital Region who could lose their SNAP benefits due to a proposal from house republicans.

“Food banks that normally fill in the gap when a family is hungry because someone has lost their job or because prices are too high or there’s an illness in the family,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “Food banks that normally fill in these gaps are being cut to the bone.”

The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York says they had 27 tractor trailers of food were cancelled due to cuts to the USDA.

“That’s 750,000 meals that are gone, right now. and that’s just a start, because the total cut is actually 7 million pounds,” said Tom Nardacci, food bank CEO. “So we’ve already lost a million. there’s six more million pounds that we’re not going to have over the next year.”

For Lindsey Wright, she has a rare disease and one of her sons has special needs. She relies on snap to get her son food.

“I use it to get certain foods that he likes. I need to get multiples of that; if I don’t have that in the household, he will refuse to eat,” said Wright.

For Watson, he’s predominately a conservative but says he’s choosing to stand alongside Senator Schumer to fight for food rights.

“I’m not usually a bipartisan person, I’m usually a staunch Republican, but these issues, they transcend all other things,” said Watson. “People can’t eat, they can’t live. we have farmers, we don’t have any food.”