LI families to Congress: Don't cut food assistance

The affordability crisis is pushing tens of thousands more Long Island families closer to the breaking point. Feeding America estimates 221,000 people on Long Island live with food insecurity. Many of our neighbors rely on federal programs to help make ends meet.

But lifeline programs that give kids healthy food options and help families here put food on the table are under attack in Washington. The urgency cannot be overstated.

The administration just canceled $1 billion in local farm purchases for school meals and food pantries that promote access to fresh fruits and vegetables while supporting small farmers. Congress has passed a budget resolution that calls for a staggering $230 billion cut to programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps families afford groceries. The pending five-year farm bill could see the full slate of federal food benefits severely curtailed.

The ripple effects will mean kids go hungry, parents don’t make ends meet, and small businesses, supermarkets, local grocers, food producers, and farms across Long Island lose vital dollars. The economic implications are severe.

In a closely divided House of Representatives, we need our Long Island members to be our firewall to protect families. The responsibility is immense; they need to stand up for common sense in this polarized environment.

Every year since the pandemic, No Kid Hungry New York has polled families statewide about the cost of food, how they balance their budgets, and how food insecurity affects their families. But even by post-pandemic standards, this year’s results were startling.

This is the first year our annual poll has shown a higher proportion of Long Islanders reporting challenges affording food than their neighbors in New York City or across the state. Some 58% of Long Islanders took on additional debt over the past year to cover the rising cost of food — the state’s highest proportion.

The reasons are plain to see. Housing costs on Long Island are through the roof. The price of groceries has shot up faster than paychecks. Tariffs will cause further spikes. Not having enough food is becoming a more common result of the affordability crisis.

It is troubling that as the crisis deepens, Congress could pull the rug out from under families that rely on food assistance, hurting Long Island’s jobs and small businesses, too. Most, if not all, emergency food program funding flows to America’s agriculture sector. Programs like SNAP, by design, require benefits to be spent in the communities where our neighbors live. The proposed cuts will cause direct harm to people who may not even realize how connected they are to the emergency food ecosystem.

In our recent poll, 55% of Long Islanders opposed any cuts to SNAP and other food assistance benefits people use at grocery stores and farmers’ markets. The reasons go beyond Long Islanders’ concern for their own families and neighbors: Two-thirds of Long Islanders believe these programs benefit the state’s economy, and three of four believe they benefit local businesses.

Long Islanders see the big picture: Food assistance is funneled back into local economies. Food security is farm security and small business security.

Our bipartisan House delegation represents the balance of power in Congress. This is not a partisan issue, but a matter of ensuring the well-being of our communities. Our members should oppose these shortsighted cuts and protect our children, parents, veterans, and local businesses.

This guest essay reflects the views of Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York, and Randi Shubin Dresner, president and chief executive of Island Harvest.