Governor Hochul Joins U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres to Warn of Crippling Effects of Republicans’ ‘Big Ugly Bill’

Governor Kathy Hochul today joined U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres, local elected officials, doctors, and healthcare leaders to warn of the destructive ramifications of President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ “Big Ugly Bill” on New York State. The cuts imposed by Washington Republicans are expected to have a significant impact, with an anticipated nearly $13 billion affecting New Yorkers healthcare system. Additionally, approximately 1.5 million New Yorkers are projected to lose their health insurance coverage, while over 300,000 households are expected to lose some or all of their SNAP benefits.

“Republicans in Washington are resolute in their determination to inflict irreparable harm to the very programs that save the lives of millions of New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “They have one goal in mind: to conceal tax breaks for their wealthy billionaires while simultaneously withdrawing health care and food benefits from families that rely on them. The fight to protect New Yorkers and uphold the very values of our nation is unfolding right now, and I am committed to being at the forefront of this fight every single day.”

Representative Ritchie Torres said, “Donald Trump’s so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is a big ugly nightmare for the Bronx. By gutting Medicaid and SNAP, Republicans have put hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers at risk just to fund tax breaks for billionaires. I’m grateful to Governor Hochul for standing with us in this fight to protect the families who stand to lose the most.”

One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) Impact on NY District 15

• SNAP: There are currently 272,857 individuals across 158,306 households in NY-15 receiving SNAP benefits
• Medicaid: There are currently 512,999 NY-15 Medicaid enrollees; 94,094 of which are estimated to lose Medicaid coverage due to OBBBA changes
• Essential Plan: There are currently 104,400 NY-15 enrollees in the Essential Plan; 12,809 of which are estimated to lose coverage in EP due to OBBBA changes

Essential Plan/Medicaid Cuts Across New York State

Republicans’ cuts to health care and other benefits through the OBBBA will negatively impact all New Yorkers. These changes will eliminate insurance coverage for millions of New Yorkers, destabilize health insurance programs across the state, and have a substantial fiscal impact on the State and the New York health care system, amounting to nearly $13 billion annually. The OBBBA will make it challenging for health care providers statewide to continue operating and will make it more difficult for all New Yorkers to access care when needed.

Over two million New Yorkers could lose their current insurance coverage. This includes approximately 730,000 lawfully present non-citizens who could lose their Essential Plan (EP) coverage, as over half of the budget for the EP, approximately $7.5 billion in federal funding, is being eliminated. Additionally, a further 1.3 million New Yorkers will lose Medicaid coverage due to new eligibility and verification hurdles.

Out of these 2 million people, 1.5 million New Yorkers are expected to become uninsured. As a result, uncompensated care costs to hospitals and providers are projected to rise to over $3 billion annually. This means that New Yorkers will have less access to care and will face higher medical bills.

Analysis from the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) and the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) estimates a total $8 billion in annual cuts to New York’s hospitals and health systems, which could force hospitals to curtail critically needed services such as maternity care and psychiatric treatment, not to mention to downsize operations, and even close entirely. These consequences will not only affect Medicaid enrollees, but also harm everyone who requires hospital care, leading to longer wait times and less access to critical services.

Rural Transformation Fund

The Republican OBBBA also includes $50 billion for rural and community hospitals. The size and scope of the Rural Transformation Fund — an average of $10 billion annually for five years for rural hospitals nationwide — is wholly inadequate to protect hospitals and health systems when compared to the estimated $8 billion in annual cuts that New York’s hospitals and health systems alone are facing. Adding insult to injury, these funds will also be awarded on a discretionary basis, meaning there is no guarantee that New York and its nearly 40 critical access and sole community hospitals will benefit.

SNAP and Nutrition Assistance Cuts Statewide

Since the inception of SNAP, the federal government has funded these benefits entirely, receiving bipartisan support from presidents of both parties and in Congress.

For the first time in SNAP’s history, the Republican-enacted law mandates that states contribute to the cost of benefits, or risk ending their SNAP programs entirely. This move jeopardizes a program that nearly three million New Yorkers rely on to put food on the table. As a result, New York and local governments are facing up to $1.4 billion in new costs annually.

This further cuts the federal share of SNAP administrative costs from 50 percent to 25 percent, increasing costs for the State by roughly $36 million annually and for counties and New York City by roughly $168 million annually. Counties will have to incorporate this fiscal hit into their 2026 budgets by this fall.

Additionally, New York State is facing over $900 million in lost SNAP benefits for New Yorkers due to new, more punitive program requirements that will make it harder for people to qualify for the assistance they need:

• The law intentionally imposes unnecessarily administratively complex work requirements on SNAP recipients, which is projected to result in more than 300,000 households losing some or all of their SNAP benefits, devastating low-income families’ grocery budgets. With an average loss of $220 per household per month, New Yorkers are projected to lose more than $800 million of SNAP benefits due to these changes.
• The law further restricts eligibility for legally present noncitizens who have previously been eligible for SNAP, now excluding anyone that does not have legal permanent resident status, Cuban/Haitian status, or Compact of Free Association status. As a result, 41,000 noncitizens in New York State, including individuals granted refugee or asylee status by the federal government, are expected to lose the food assistance they rely on to feed themselves and their families, totaling roughly $108 million in lost SNAP benefits for New Yorkers.

The law also cuts funding for the SNAP-Ed New York Program, which promotes healthy eating and efficient use of already limited SNAP benefits. This program teaches SNAP beneficiaries how to shop for and cook wholesome, healthy meals on a tight budget. As a result, New York will lose $29 million annually that funded this work by 18 community-based organizations across the entire state. These organizations include Cornell Cooperative Extensions in Albany, Allegany, Erie, Wayne, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, St. Lawrence, Steuben and Suffolk counties.

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “These cuts will have a devastating impact on all New Yorkers, leaving an estimated 1.5 million people in New York uninsured, stripping social and health care safety net services, driving up food insecurity and leaving hospitals to shoulder the burden of increasing health care costs. These cuts to health care coverage are unprecedented and cruel. The State Department of Health will continue to work with Governor Kathy Hochul, our dedicated hospital systems and state agency partners to take every measure possible to mitigate the impact of this bill.”

State Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda said, “The so-called “Big Ugly Bill” is not just a political threat; it's a direct assault on the most vulnerable in our community. In the Bronx and across New York City, hundreds of families will see their health and food benefits cut, while hospitals face financial collapse. Our community faces the loss of more than $900 million in SNAP benefits, while more than 27,000 people will lose their Medicaid coverage and more than 4,000 will be excluded from the Essential Plan. I represent the 32nd Senate District — one of the poorest districts in New York — where families depend heavily on these essential services to meet their most basic needs. This is more than a budgetary concern; it is a humanitarian crisis that demands thoughtful action. I look forward to working with Governor Hochul and my colleagues in the State Legislature to develop a comprehensive plan that not only safeguards these vital supports but also strengthens them, ensuring all New Yorkers have the stability and resources they need to thrive.”

State Senator Robert Jackson said, “This ‘Big Ugly Bill’ is more than bad policy—it’s partisan cruelty and a direct assault on the health, dignity, and survival of millions of New Yorkers. At a time when families are already struggling under the weight of rising costs, Washington Republicans have chosen to rip food from children’s tables, medicine from our elders, and lifelines from working people. In New York, we know health care is not a privilege to be rationed—it is a right that must be defended. That is why I stand with my colleagues to reject these cruel cuts and to fight with every tool of law and legislation to protect our hospitals, safeguard SNAP, and ensure that no family is forced to choose between feeding their children and healing their loved ones. Our message is clear: we will not let ideology triumph over humanity. We choose care over cruelty, justice over sabotage, and a government that serves the people—not punishes them.”

State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said, “The reconciliation bill would cut health coverage for over a million New Yorkers, reduce nutrition assistance, and strain hospitals across our state. At a time when families are working hard to get ahead, we should be focused on expanding access and strengthening the safety net. When we do that, families are healthier, communities are stronger, and New York moves forward together.”

Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz said, “Trump's legislation passed by the Republican Congress will have a devastating impact in New York and throughout the country. The cuts to healthcare, to SNAP benefits, and so much more, will pay for tax cuts to the super rich and corporations. This would be the largest transfer of wealth, from poor to rich, in the history of the world. This will not only affect an incredible amount of people, but it will also explode the federal deficit. This is unacceptable and we need to fight this in every possible way.”

Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia said, “The Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress are working to implement their radical agenda on the backs of our most vulnerable families. The so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ is nothing more than an attack on working-class New Yorkers. Stripping health care from over two million people and cutting food assistance for hundreds of thousands of households will devastate communities like ours in the Bronx. These cuts will shutter hospitals, drive up costs, and force families to choose between paying medical bills or putting food on the table.”

Assemblymember George Alvarez said, “The so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ is nothing more than a direct attack on the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers. Here in the Bronx, the cuts to Medicaid, the Essential Plan, and SNAP will devastate our most vulnerable families, seniors, children, immigrants, and patients battling chronic illness. Stripping away health care coverage from millions and food assistance from hundreds of thousands is unconscionable and will push families deeper into poverty while overwhelming our hospitals and clinics. I stand with Governor Hochul, Representative Torres, and my colleagues in sounding the alarm: we will not sit silently while Washington Republicans balance their agenda on the backs of working families in our community.”

Assemblymember Landon Dais said, “They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder — but New York State Republicans must be blind if they think this so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is anything but ugly for New Yorkers. By siding with Donald Trump, they’ve chosen loyalty to him over loyalty to our state and country. This bill rips food off the tables of working families, threatens to bankrupt New York’s farmers, abandons our veterans, and guts Medicaid in ways that will leave horrifying outcomes for our healthcare system. It hurts New Yorkers, it hurts New York businesses, and it is nothing less than a direct threat to our great state.”

Assemblymember Emérita Torres said, “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is nothing short of an attack on the Bronx. By slashing Medicaid and gutting SNAP, this legislation rips away lifelines that tens of thousands of families in the 85th Assembly District depend on to survive. In a community already facing some of the highest rates of asthma, diabetes, and food insecurity in the country, these cruel cuts will deepen deadly health disparities and force parents to choose between medicine and meals. To add insult to injury, the same bill hands out massive tax breaks to billionaires while working-class families in the Bronx are left to suffer. This bill doesn’t just ignore the Bronx — it targets us, and the consequences will be measured in suffering and lives lost.”

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said, “The 'Big Ugly Bill' will devastate the Bronx, stripping away the programs and social safety net that our residents and families desperately need. Nearly a million Bronx residents depend on Medicaid for healthcare, and almost half of our Bronx families rely on SNAP to put food on the table every day. These cuts are not only morally unjust but will also underfund our hospitals, cost thousands of jobs, and force too many Bronx residents to go without basic needs. I stand with Governor Kathy Hochul, Congressman Richie Torres, and our healthcare leaders in fighting back against these cuts that will further harm our communities and disproportionately impact our most vulnerable residents.”

CABS CEO Sherly Demosthenes-Atkinson said, “For over 45 years, CABS Health Network has been a trusted provider of home care, care management, and social support services—helping seniors, children, families, and other vulnerable New Yorkers live with health, dignity, and independence. Nearly all of those we serve rely on Medicaid and SNAP—not only as safety nets, but as essential pathways to care, nutrition, and community services. With over 95% of our operating budget and eligibility tied to Medicaid, any reduction in access to this program doesn’t just threaten our ability to serve—it threatens the health and well-being of thousands across our communities. We stand firmly behind Governor Hochul as she leads the charge to protect Medicaid, safeguard vital services, and uphold the values of compassion and equity that New Yorkers deserve.”