By Hank Russell
A contingent of Republican state senators sent a letter to the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) urging the commissioner to immediately stop what they say were her overtly political and inappropriate statements regarding the federal changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
In a letter dated July 30 and signed by 14 senators with the Senate Republican Conference — including Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick (R-Valley Stream), Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), Alexis Weik (R-Sayville), Steve Rhoads (R-Mineola) and Dean Murray (R-Patchogue) — the group blasted the agency’s commissioner, Barbara C. Guinn, for politicizing the federal government’s changes to SNAP.
Guinn was quoted by WWLP as saying, “The historic cuts and cost shifts related to SNAP enacted last week will take food off the tables of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and shift billions of dollars in costs onto the backs of the State and local governments in New York, while weakening the very safety net families rely on when times are hard.”
Hochul called Trump’s bill “The Big Ugly Bill” and the SNAP changes “unconsionable,” adding that up to 3 million state residents could lose their benefits.
The senators had a pointed response to Hochul and Guinn’s comments.
“We understand Governor Hochul is gearing up for a tough re-election, but the use of state resources to amplify partisan messaging must cease immediately. Language such as describing the federal changes as ‘cruel’ or ‘unthinkable’ more closely resembles campaign rhetoric than the neutral, fact-based analysis expected from your department. These talking points are best left to the Democratic National Committee, not parroted by a state agency that performs vital public service,” stated the letter.
The cuts, according to the letter, is to crack down on fraud; between 2022 and 2024, more than $40 million in SNAP benefits were stolen. New York accounts for 7% of all SNAP beneficiaries nationwide, but 18% of all fraud.
“That discrepancy suggests urgent reforms are needed at the state level to protect taxpayers and preserve the program for honest recipients,” said the letter.
“I would strongly suggest that you stop the partisan political attacks and instead, try working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to find solutions that will benefit New Yorkers in need, regardless of their political persuasion,” said Murray, the ranking member of the Senate Social Services Committee. “For example, focusing on switching to chip technology on your EBT cards to prevent the skimming theft of SNAP benefits that have cost needy New Yorkers tens of millions of dollars a year. With a state budget of $254 billion, there really is no excuse for not getting it done. How about putting more of your focus on delivering results for needy New Yorkers and less on delivering attack pieces for political bosses?”