Dear Friends,

Today marks one full month of the government shutdown.

That’s 31 days of federal employees not receiving paychecks, North Carolinians experiencing pauses and delays in receiving their federal services, and uncertainty surrounding important federal programs that our community relies on.

Since the government shut down, Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to call the House back in session, not allowing Congress to return to work, reopen the government, and address one of the most critical issues facing Americans—affordable healthcare.

Democrats are fighting to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits which help 880,000 North Carolinians afford healthcare, including 88,000 in our district. These credits have helped lower healthcare costs for millions of American citizens across the country but unless Congress acts, they will expire at the end of the year, and insurance premiums will skyrocket.

Open enrollment for health insurance in North Carolina begins tomorrow, November 1, and our community is already seeing a significant increase in healthcare premium costs in 2026 for the exact same insurance they had in 2025.

One of my constituents even shared that her family’s health insurance costs will increase by $10,000 more next year. Simply put, we cannot afford that.

I was back in Washington this week because Democrats are ready to pass a bipartisan bill that extends the ACA tax credits, reopens the government, and finally delivers for the needs of the American people.

I will never stop fighting for you.

Rep. Adams speaks at a Congressional SNAP press conference on October 29, 2025.

Last week, President Trump and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced they will not be administering SNAP benefits in November.

Congress allocated billions of dollars to the SNAP contingency fund in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote to cover lapses in funding during emergencies just like this but the USDA refuses to use it.

In their September shutdown memo, which they have conveniently removed from their website, the USDA mentioned that they would use SNAP contingency funds to keep the program afloat during the shutdown. Now they are unlawfully reversing course.

That’s unacceptable. Hungry people are not political pawns, and we won’t let this administration hold them hostage.

That’s why I led a letter alongside my fellow North Carolina Democratic Representatives Deborah Ross, Valerie Foushee, and Don Davis calling on the USDA to use all available avenues, including the SNAP contingency fund, to fund November benefits for SNAP and WIC.

You can read our full letter here.

I also joined my colleagues in Congress for a press conference to discuss how reckless cuts to SNAP are impacting our constituents.

1.4 million North Carolinians rely on SNAP to feed their families, including 34,000 households in our district. More than 50% of those households have at least one child, 38% have an older American, and nearly 40% have a person with a disability.

I want to be clear, this is about choices. The administration is choosing not to fund SNAP but rather let vulnerable people in our community go hungry. Democrats will continue fighting this because everyone deserves to eat and you can’t be healthy if you’re hungry.

You can watch my remarks from the press conference here.

"Hunger Matters" webinar held on October 30, 2025.

“Housing Matters” Webinar

Thursday, November 6

6:30 PM ET

Register here.

Thank you to everyone who attended the first three webinars, and I look forward to seeing you at “Housing Matters” soon.

Rep. Adams addresses members of the North Carolina General Assembly at the Redistricting Committee hearing on October 21, 2025.

On Tuesday, October 21, I joined thousands of North Carolinians from across the state in Raleigh to fight against Republican attempts to further gerrymander our state.

Speaker Hall made it clear that our state’s Congressional redistricting is being done at the request of President Trump, not because it serves North Carolina citizens. We are a true purple state, and everyone deserves to have their values and voices heard, whether you agree with them or not.

I will continue standing opposed to these reckless attempts to rig our democracy because it’s the people, not politicians, who get to decide who represents them in elected office.

Watch my testimony before the committee here.

Rep. Adams delivers the North Carolina A&T State University 135th Legacy Dinner keynote address on October 24, 2025.

On Friday, October 24, I was proud to recognize and celebrate 135 years of land-grant HBCUs, commonly referred to as 1890 Institutions, at North Carolina A&T State University’s 135th Legacy Dinner.

As our state’s 1890 Institution, NC A&T has provided world-class education, research, and programming to their students and their community for 134 years. The university has been awarded more than $180 million in research grants over the last 6 years, their work has helped more than 4,400 small-scale agriculture producers improve their operations, and for the 12^th year in a row, NC A&T is the largest HBCU in the country.

1890 Institutions are personal to me.  When I first started college, I wasn’t fully prepared for the rigors of higher education, but NC A&T met me where I was and helped me become who they always knew I could be. I left NC A&T a student and came back a Congresswoman, and it was the education, culture, and leadership they instilled in me that helped me succeed.

Congratulations to our 1890 Institutions on 135 years of academic excellence and I look forward to seeing the continued lasting impact you provide your students, your schools, and your community.

On Saturday, October 25, I was honored to deliver the keynote address for the East Stonewall AME Zion Church Memorial Banquet honoring the life of their former Senior Pastor, the Late Rev. Dr. Michael E. McLean.

Dr. McLean often spoke of the role the Black Church plays in social movements that confront justice. At this important time for food security, healthcare, and our democracy, it has never been more important for our community to come together and help meet the needs of our neighbors, especially when the federal government abandons them.

I’m grateful to East Stonewall for hosting this event and for their continued work toward the betterment of our community.

As your member of Congress, what matters to you matters to me—that’s why I want to hear directly from you on how federal cuts and the Republican government shutdown are impacting your family.

Whether you’re a federal worker going without pay, a citizen whose health insurance costs will double next year, or someone not able to access the federal services you need, your story matters and I invite you to share it with my office.

While this shutdown continues, I will keep fighting to pass a bipartisan bill that reopens the government and protects affordable healthcare for you. It’s time Congress delivers for the American people.

Student entries for America’s Field Trip are now open.

America’s Field Trip is a nationwide student contest inviting students to become a part of next year’s 250^th anniversary celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Students in grades 3–12 can submit their entries by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — with the chance to earn a once-in-a-lifetime field trip experience at one of 16 different iconic American landmarks or cultural sites, including Mount Rushmore, the National Archives Museum, Kennedy Space Center, and Yellowstone National Park.

Entries can be submitted from now until March 30, 2026.

To learn more and apply, click the link below.

Access to fresh, nutritious food is a human right. Everyone should be able to put food on their table and feed their families, and it is unacceptable that the Trump administration is trying to take SNAP away from the people who need it most.

I’m grateful to Gov. Josh Stein for providing $18 million, including $10 million in state funds, to North Carolina food banks to help them take care of our community when the federal government refuses to do so.

Our community, city, and state shouldn’t have to make up for this administration’s failures, and I know Charlotteans will always rise to the occasion and take care of each other.

As we approach this November 1 deadline, I want to share some food security resources with you. Mecklenburg County Public Health compiled a list of pantries, resources, and information for anyone to use if they need assistance with food. You can find that list here. You can find an additional list of food pantries here.

I also encourage you to watch my “Hunger Matters” webinar where our panel of experts addressed questions around hunger and food security in our community. You can find that recording here.