Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) was today joined by food and nutrition advocates in detailing the severe impact that Republican cuts to vital food assistance programs will have on New Yorkers, particularly senior citizens, pregnant women, infants, and children.
"It is indefensible to make such severe cuts to food assistance, which is critical for thousands of New Yorkers, particularly those who are most vulnerable," said Lowey. "These cuts will mean fewer senior citizens, pregnant women, infants, and children will be able to access the nutritious food they need to remain healthy. The Republican majority must stop slashing this lifeline for millions of Americans facing economic hardship, including the 9% of households right here in Westchester County who struggled to meet their families' food needs over the last year."
The Agriculture Appropriations Act, passed this week by the House of Representatives, included:
* $650 million, or 10%, in cuts to the WIC program that could result in up to 19,500 low-income New York women and children losing assistance next year.
* $38 million (22 percent) in cuts to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), which provides nutritious food packages to more than 600,000 low-income families, 96 percent of whom are seniors, every month.
* $51 million in cuts to The Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP, which provides our nation's emergency food bank network with food commodities and storage and distribution support.
"These cuts could have a disastrous impact on the ability of food banks and food pantries to provide wholesome, nutritious food to people who are most vulnerable, like senior citizens, pregnant women, infants, and children," said Christina Rohatynskyj, Executive Director of the Food Bank for Westchester. "These programs are just a tiny part of the federal budget, but they are critical to thousands of New Yorkers. It is not right to balance the budget on the backs of children and seniors."