Schumer: Trump’s Budget Is All-Out Assault On Upstate NY Families, Seniors & Communities
After President Trump released his “skinny budget” plan for the next year, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer revealed how these devastating cuts would totally eliminate and slash many of the federal programs Upstate NY relies on the most. Schumer is sounding the alarm on the most dangerous and severe of these cuts for Upstate NY, which could cost our seniors, families, local governments, and small businesses billions.
“Trump’s budget proposal is an all-out assault on hardworking Upstate New York families and seniors and the programs our communities rely on most – from totally eliminating funding to help our seniors keep the heat on during cold winters, to slashing funding to fight the opioid crisis, to cutting funding for rural air service in the North Country, to decimating the CDBG and HOME grant programs that deliver tens of millions of dollars every year for cities from Buffalo to Rochester to Albany to reduce housing costs and create local jobs. The chaos and cruelty of these cuts to incredibly effective, popular and essential federal programs show no one is safe from government by chainsaw,” said Senator Schumer. “Donald Trump’s budget is dead on arrival in the Senate, and all NY House Republicans should stand up and be vocal against these cuts, which are so damaging to Upstate NY, and get them reversed and removed from this misguided budget proposal.”
Schumer highlighted some of the most severe and alarming cuts proposed in Trump’s budget that would hit Upstate NY hardest:
Totally Eliminates LIHEAP – Ripping Away Nearly $400 Million Per Year For NY Seniors & Families To Heat And Cool Their Homes
Trump’s budget proposal completely eliminates all federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), zeroing out the funding. LIHEAP is the program that provides federal support to seniors & families to help pay their winter heating bills or summer cooling bills.
Schumer said, “We all know Upstate winters can be harsh, and it is beyond cruel Trump could turn off the heat for thousands of seniors who rely on this program to stay safe and warm in their homes.”
Last year, more than 1.8 million families across New York State received nearly $400 million in funding thanks to LIHEAP. A full county-by-county breakdown of New Yorkers receiving LIHEAP can be found HERE, with some of the largest counties highlighted below:
Upstate NY Major Counties LIHEAP Benefits
| Counties | Households | Benefits |
| Erie | 119,693 | $41.7 million |
| Monroe | 65,920 | $19.7 million |
| Onondaga | 41,559 | $15.1 million |
| Oneida | 28,545 | $13.8 million |
| Albany | 19,603 | $6.7 million |
| Westchester | 34,060 | $3.3 million |
| Broome | 20,166 | $9.6 million |
| St. Lawrence | 13,940 | $8.6 million |
Cuts $4.2+ Billion for CDBG and HOME Grants, Eliminating the Programs – These Investments Are Some of the Main Tools Local Governments Use To Reduce Housing Costs And Revitalize Neighborhood
Trump’s budget proposal eliminates the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Programs. Schumer said CDBG and HOME have long been cornerstones of funding for building new housing to reduce costs and increase access, economic development, and community revitalization creating jobs for Upstate NY.
Below is a breakdown of the CDBG and HOME funding levels Upstate NY communities are receiving for Fiscal Year 2025 that would be eliminated under the Trump budget proposal:
Upstate CDBG and HOME Grant Breakdown
| Grantee | 2025 CDBG Award | 2025 HOME Award | Total Combined |
| State of New York | $47,644,860 | $23,805,148 | $71,450,008 |
| Buffalo | $13,103,636 | $3,092,955 | $16,196,591 |
| Rochester | $8,068,072 | $2,316,840 | $10,384,912 |
| Syracuse | $4,795,536 | $1,278,624 | $6,074,160 |
| Westchester County | $4,646,543 | $1,027,065 | $5,673,608 |
| Yonkers | $3,248,745 | $1,223,019 | $4,471,764 |
| Erie County | $2,994,630 | $921,687 | $3,916,317 |
| Albany | $3,043,143 | $857,575 | $3,900,718 |
| Rockland County | $2,691,786 | $970,993 | $3,662,779 |
| Schenectady | $2,050,241 | $1,187,096 | $3,237,337 |
| Monroe County | $1,842,072 | $1,146,571 | $2,988,643 |
| Onondaga County | $2,272,403 | $673,565 | $2,945,968 |
| Utica | $2,320,311 | $590,075 | $2,910,386 |
| Orange County | $1,645,340 | $1,110,380 | $2,755,720 |
| Niagara Falls | $2,150,047 | $449,818 | $2,599,865 |
| Dutchess County | $1,497,550 | $884,623 | $2,382,173 |
| Binghamton | $1,790,607 | $442,780 | $2,233,387 |
| Mount Vernon | $1,548,930 | $591,829 | $2,140,759 |
| New Rochelle | $1,385,726 | $446,046 | $1,831,772 |
| Troy | $1,725,397 | $0 | $1,725,397 |
| Union Town | $1,253,674 | $390,411 | $1,644,085 |
| Tonawanda Town | $1,592,983 | $0 | $1,592,983 |
| Amherst | $625,669 | $838,600 | $1,464,269 |
| Jamestown | $1,105,265 | $313,260 | $1,418,525 |
| Elmira | $1,095,403 | $239,101 | $1,334,504 |
Ends The Northern Border Regional Commission, Great Lakes Authority, and Economic Development Administration – Federal Investments Aimed Specifically At Spurring Economic Growth and Job Creation In Upstate NY
Trump’s budget proposal would completely get rid of the Northern Border Regional Commission, which has delivered more than $48 million for 78 projects across Upstate NY since its creation, and the Great Lakes Authority which specifically benefit NY counties. These agencies provide targeted help for Upstate NY infrastructure, rural health care, child care access, workforce training, small business support, and community projects that otherwise would go unfunded. The Trump budget also eliminates the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which has delivered well over $320 million for New York State projects since 2018 alone. These EDA investments have created or supported nearly 40,000 New York jobs and spurred more than $4.4 billion in private investment.
At the end of last year, the Economic Development Administration was reauthorized with wide bipartisan support. This bill that passed into law also reauthorized the Northern Border Regional Commission for another 5 years, increasing funding and expanding the critical grant program.
- The Northern Border Regional Commission includes: Cayuga, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Orleans, Oswego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Sullivan, Washington, Warren, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties.
- The Great Lakes Authority includes: Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Allegany, Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming, Jefferson, Orleans, Oswego, Wayne, Monroe, Cayuga, Lewis, Herkimer, Hamilton, Oneida, Seneca, Onondaga, Tompkins, Schuyler, Yates, Ontario, Madison, Cortland, Chemung, Steuben, Livingston, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Essex, and Clinton counties.
Slashes $1 Billion For Fighting The Opioid Epidemic And Combating Addiction
Trump’s budget slashes the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s (SAMSA) budget by over $1 billion, a nearly 15% reduction. This will make it harder for Upstate NY to fight the opioid epidemic reducing critical treatments and mental health care, especially rural programs that uniquely rely on this funding.
New York State-based institutions received nearly $650 million in grant funding in FY2024. A 15% reduction would rip away nearly $100 million from NY’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
Devastating 40% Cut to NIH Funding – Harming Medical Research On Cancer, Alzheimer’s And More: Hurting Healthcare and Jobs In Upstate NY
Trump’s budget slashes the National Institutes of Health budget by approximately $18 billion, a roughly 40% reduction. Every corner of New York is using this funding to study cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other life-threatening diseases.
Schumer said, “These extreme cuts will lead to layoffs in Upstate NY and make it more difficult for sick people to receive care, and set our country back decades in developing lifesaving medical treatment.”
New York State institutions received more than $3.5 billion in grant funding in FY2024. A 40% reduction in the total NIH budget means that all of the money New York receives is at risk. Institutions could see millions of dollars ripped away for research efforts across NY. A full list of NIH grant recipients and federal funding awards can be found here.
Examples of Upstate NIH Cut Subsidy Summary
| Recipient | FY2024 Grants |
| University of Rochester | $187,470,266 |
| University at Buffalo | $90,062,504 |
| Roswell Park Cancer Institute | $48,999,339 |
| Albany Medical College | $13,233,444 |
| University at Albany | $11,007,516 |
89% Slash For Federal Funds For Clean Drinking Water And Eliminating Lead Pipes
Trump’s budget proposal cuts nearly $2.5 billion from the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds, amounting to an overall budget of $305 million which is a nearly 89% cut. The SRFs are one of the primary federal tools for municipalities to get low-cost financing for water and sewer infrastructure projects that ensures the water New Yorkers rely on is safe and clean.
Schumer said, “Upstate NY has some of the oldest water infrastructure, and our cities like Buffalo and Troy have more lead pipes than most places in the country. No amount of toxic lead exposure is safe for our children, and these cuts would leave communities high and dry when it comes to upgrading their water and sewage infrastructure.”
According to the EPA, New York State received more than $368 million in funding from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and nearly $294 million from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for a total of more than $662 million in FY2024. Under Trump’s proposed FY2026 funding levels, New York State would see a reduction of nearly $580 million.
Cutting Rural Air Service Support For North Country Airports
Trump’s budget proposal slashes funding for FAA’s Essential Air Service (EAS) program by 50%. The EAS provides federal support to bring air service to underserved & rural communities, and specifically all five of the North Country’s major airports. All of NY’s airports that rely on EAS are in the North Country: Ogdensburg, Massena, Plattsburgh, Watertown, and Adirondack Regional Airport.
Cuts Funding For Programs That Help Seniors And People With Disabilities Pay Rent
Trump’s budget proposal would consolidate funding for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, Public Housing, Project-Based Rental Assistance, Housing for the Elderly, and Housing for Persons with Disabilities into a new State Rental Assistance Block Grant, cutting nearly $27 billion across these programs and foisting responsibility over these programs onto state and local governments, reducing their ability to help people in need. Over half a million New Yorkers rely on this assistance, the vast majority of whom are seniors, people with disabilities, and children. Schumer explained that as rent costs continue to go up across the country, the administration is slashing funding for rental assistance.
In FY2023, New York State received more than $7.4 billion across these programs that would not be consolidated into a new State Rental Assistance Block Grant and receive a massive cut of 42.8%. Below is a breakdown of funding for each program and how much would be allocated to New York State if Trump’s major cuts to the programs were to go through.
NY State Rental Assistance Block Grant Breakdown
| Grant | FY2023 Funding Levels | Award Based on Proposed FY2026 HUD Funding Levels | Amount Cut Based on Proposed FY2026 HUD Funding Levels |
| Tenant-Based Rental Assistance | $140,182,508 | $80,184,395 | $59,998,113 |
| Public Housing | $5,239,042,468 | $2,996,732,292 | $2,242,310,176 |
| Project-Based Rental Assistance | $1,907,344,837 | $1,091,001,247 | $816,343,590 |
| Housing for the Elderly | $122,626,159 | $70,142,163 | $52,483,996 |
| Housing for Persons with Disabilities | $14,109,993 | $8,070,916 | $6,039,077 |
| Total | $7,423,305,965 | $4,246,131,012 | $3,177,174,953 |
Cancels $1.3 Billion For NOAA- Essential To The Health Of Great Lakes & Weather Monitoring
Trump’s budget proposal eliminates more than $1.3 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grants and research programs which uniquely support the Great Lakes, including programs which helps identify storm water infrastructure in need of upgrades to ensure community safety during extreme weather events.
In addition, Trump wants to cancel $209 million for weather satellites and infrastructure critical for Upstate NY communities to get timely and accurate forecasts, and without could put safety at risk.
Senator Schumer said, “Trump’s seismic cuts to the NOAA Great Lakes programs are the equivalent of wandering outside during a blizzard in Buffalo without a jacket. It’s not just dumb, it’s dangerous. NOAA Great Lakes scientists are how we monitor the health of Lake Erie, how we keep our waterways clean, how Western NY gets daily weather reports and this funding is one of our best tools for knowing when a lake effect snow will drop and how extreme it will be.”
