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Congressman Pat Ryan is continuing his fight against potential cuts to food banks by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Ryan has invited Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to visit the Hudson Valley Regional Food Bank in Montgomery to witness the impact of the proposed cuts firsthand. Ryan warns that the $1 billion funding cut announced by the USDA could result in a significant reduction of meals for the region.
According to Ryan, the cuts could mean two million fewer meals distributed across Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster Counties in 2025. The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, which distributed over 4.8 million pounds of food last year in these counties, is expected to see a 49% drop in food supplies, affecting the 170,000 people who rely on the food bank each month.
In a recent Fox News interview, Secretary Rollins dismissed Ryan's warnings as "fake news." However, Ryan insists that food shipments have already been canceled, impacting local farmers, church groups, and food pantries. Ryan stated, "Despite what Secretary Rollins claimed on Fox News, there's absolutely nothing fake about these cuts."
The Hudson Valley Regional Food Bank recently opened a new distribution facility in Montgomery, doubling its storage capacity. Ryan hopes that Secretary Rollins will accept his invitation to visit the facility and engage with the community to understand the potential harm of the cuts. The invitation remains open, though it is uncertain if Rollins will accept.