Congressman Ryan Demands Reversal Of Trump Cuts To Emergency Food Assistance

Congressman Pat Ryan is criticizing nan Trump Administration for slashing backing to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), informing nan move could origin terrible nutrient shortages successful nan Hudson Valley. The USDA, led by Secretary Brooke Rollins, has trim TEFAP shipments successful half done 2025, starring to an expected nonaccomplishment of 2 cardinal meals for residents successful Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster Counties. In a press release, Ryan demanded Rollins reinstate nan costs immediately.

“I had to publication this 5 times earlier I believed it,” Ryan wrote. “We’re each already emotion nan crunch of nan affordability crisis, which is made immeasurably worse by Trump’s tariffs. Now he’s ripping nutrient distant from quiet children – it’s perfectly disgusting.

“170,000 of our neighbors trust connected nan nutrient slope each month. That’s families going hungry. That’s kids, veterans, and seniors going hungry. That’s farmers going retired of business. We request our full Hudson Valley organization to subordinate together pinch 1 sound and request that Trump and Secretary Rollins reverse this determination and reconstruct captious backing immediately.”

The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, which serves 170,000 group monthly, anticipates a astir 50% driblet successful distributed meals this year. Key nutrient items for illustration meats, dairy, and nutrient are among those astir affected.

Ryan and section nutrient slope leaders are urging nan national authorities to reconstruct nan funding, citing accrued request and increasing nutrient insecurity. Despite opening a larger distribution installation successful Montgomery, Orange County, nan nutrient slope is facing shortages owed to nan cuts.

New York operates 1 of nan astir expansive — and costly — state-level nutrient assistance systems successful nan country, pinch programs for illustration Nourish NY and HPNAP actively supporting nutrient banks and farm-to-food-bank pipelines. Though TEFAP is not nan superior root of nutrient for nan state’s nutrient banks, their contributions are considered basal by authorities officials. With ostentation and lodging costs acting arsenic superior drivers of nutrient insecurity successful nan region, nan Trump cuts — made successful nan sanction of fiscal work — deepen nan situation of feeding New York’s astir needy.