John,

The holiday season is approaching, and as many people are sitting around family tables sharing a special meal, millions of Americans are struggling to afford enough food.

While the shutdown may be over, cuts made to SNAP in Republicans’ Big Brutal Budget are the largest in the program’s history―$187 billion over 10 years. These cuts for the first time force states to cover some of the cost of nutrition benefits and raise their share of administrative costs. Many states are financially strapped already and may resort to reducing SNAP benefits, restricting eligibility, or opting out of SNAP altogether.

And, this radical change of shifting SNAP benefit costs to states will squeeze other important state investments in basic needs programs, including education, mental health services, and home-based care.

None of this is an accident. We have an administration that used SNAP participants as political pawns in their shutdown game. They are looking for even more ways to take food assistance away from people, threatening to penalize people with moderate savings or who get a slight bump in income by taking SNAP away from almost 6 million people nationwide.² And families with children who lose SNAP also lose automatic enrollment for free school meals³ and streamlined eligibility for WIC.⁴ Their plan is to cut as much as possible in order to pay some of the cost of tax breaks for the ultra-rich, no matter the pain and suffering these cuts cause.

There’s a chance to stop this. Democrats in Congress have just introduced a bill that will restore the SNAP cuts made in the Big Brutal Budget,⁵ with support of 1500 organizations across the country.⁶ Your members of Congress need to hear from you loud and clear.

Send a message to Congress, urging them to restore SNAP funding now.

SNAP provides much more than just food assistance: It is a critical support system that promotes food security, economic well-being, and better health outcomes. The program plays a vital role in addressing hunger, reducing health care costs, and improving the long-term prospects of households with low incomes.

Additionally, reduced SNAP benefits hurt the broader economy. Food retailers, including grocery stores and farmers' markets, depend on SNAP dollars to stay afloat. In areas where food retailers are already struggling, any reduction in SNAP benefits would have a harsh impact on businesses and the local economy.

The effects of these cuts are far-reaching. We cannot allow them to continue.

Send a message urging Congress to repeal the cuts made to SNAP today.

Thank you for all you do,

Meredith Dodson
Senior Director of Public Policy, CHN Action

¹ Trump admin backs off idea to force SNAP users to reapply
² Bluesky thread on Admin's proposed rule that would gut broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE)
³ Changes to SNAP Could Reduce Student Access to Free School Meals
⁴ Impact of the OBBA on WIC
⁵ Luján, Schumer, Klobuchar, Merkley, Hayes, Craig Lead Congressional Democrats in Introducing Legislation to Reverse SNAP Cuts and Restore Food Security for Millions of Americans
⁶ FRAC, CBPP, and Nearly 1,500 National, State, and Community-Based Organizations Urge Congress to Restore SNAP Funding

-- DEBORAH'S EMAIL --

John,

When Republicans passed their Big Brutal Budget, they passed the largest cut to SNAP in the program’s history―$187 billion over 10 years.¹ Now, Democrats in the House and Senate have introduced legislation to undo those draconian cuts.²

A big part of the Big Brutal SNAP cuts is the requirement that states pay a much bigger share of the cost―including covering the cost of SNAP benefits for the first time.³ If states cannot or will not come up with additional funds for SNAP out of their budgets, then they'll remove people from SNAP, reduce SNAP benefits, or opt out of the program altogether―exacerbating the struggles families are facing putting food on the table now.

Crystal FitzSimmons, president of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), made the following statement⁴:

“States will be forced to radically cut the number of eligible families receiving food assistance or find other ways to cut spending or increase taxes. If states can’t pay the tab, they will be forced out of SNAP entirely, eliminating SNAP for everyone who is eligible. These cuts simply cannot stand as they will reverse decades of progress in the fight against hunger in America.”

Send a message to Congress today, urging them to restore the federal responsibility to provide adequate SNAP benefits to people in need that was seriously eroded in the Big Brutal Budget.

Most adults who receive SNAP benefits work if they do not have a disability and are not elderly, but they’re stuck in low-paying jobs with uncertain hours and need SNAP benefits to supplement their income. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of groceries has increased 29% over the past 5 years.⁵ USDA data show that 60% of SNAP households with children and a non-elderly, non-disabled adult have earnings⁶―but not enough to cover basic needs.

SNAP is not only our most effective anti-hunger program, but it also plays a crucial role in reducing poverty and improving health and economic outcomes. It’s linked to better education outcomes and self-sufficiency, and plays an essential role in supporting rural communities.⁷

Congress must undo the cuts made to SNAP in the Big Brutal Budget, or the pain and suffering we saw during the shutdown will only continue over the next decade.

Join us in calling on Congress to restore SNAP funding now.

Thank you for all you do,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, CHN Action

¹ By the Numbers: Harmful Republican Megabill Takes Food Assistance Away From Millions of People
² Luján, Schumer, Klobuchar, Merkley, Hayes, Craig Lead Congressional Democrats in Introducing Legislation to Reverse SNAP Cuts and Restore Food Security for Millions of Americans
³ By the Numbers: Harmful Republican Megabill Takes Food Assistance Away From Millions of People
⁴ FRAC, CBPP, and Nearly 1,500 National, State, and Community-Based Organizations Urge Congress to Restore SNAP Funding
⁵ Grocery prices have jumped up, and there's no relief in sight
⁶ SNAP Provides Critical Benefits to Workers and Their Families
⁷ SNAP Supports Rural Families