Senate must stop cuts that would dramatically increase hunger and poverty
On May 22, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a budget reconciliation package that, if enacted, will cause unconscionable harm to the federal safety net and our neighbors who need it. The bill includes an estimated $300 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) plus deep reductions to Medicaid and affordable marketplace health coverage.
If these cuts are enacted, food insecurity and poverty will skyrocket and demand will increase on an already strained emergency food system. Lines at food pantries will get much longer.
Cuts would slash federal funding for SNAP by forcing states to bear costs they are not prepared to assume. It would limit SNAP’s ability to respond during inflation and recessions. It would take SNAP away from parents and grandparents of school-aged children, older adults in their early sixties and people with limited job opportunities by tightening burdensome and ineffective work requirements.
The bill passed by a 215-214 vote. Our attention and advocacy now shift to the Senate, where senators are working on their own budget reconciliation package. The fight is not over. We urge everyone to contact your senators and demand they reject these cuts to the safety net.
One way the bill aims to cut SNAP is by increasing work requirements for basic food assistance. Raising the age limit of able-bodied adults who need to satisfy work requirements from 54 to 64, and expanding work requirements for households with a “dependent child” above age 7 will create hunger and hardship for nearly 500,000 Illinoisans likely to lose all or some of their benefits.
Equally alarming is the plan to profoundly restructure the way SNAP is funded by shifting a significant share of the financial responsibility to individual states. Under a new structure, Illinois could be required to cover 20% of the costs of SNAP benefits starting in FY2028, and 25% more of the administrative costs – which together could amount to $1 billion annually. Most states, including Illinois, are unable to take on this cost burden and will be forced to severely reduce benefits and/or restrict eligibility further.
The bill also aims to cut SNAP by limiting re-evaluation of benefit levels to every five years and require updates to be cost-neutral. This would prevent benefits from increasing alongside actual food costs making the benefits less adequate for all SNAP households over time.
A reduction to SNAP, combined with proposed cuts to Medicaid and other essential safety net programs will have catastrophic consequences for millions of households already finding it hard to afford nutritious food. Hunger relief charities like the Food Depository and our local partners will not be able to meet the increased need.
This bill is a giant step backwards in efforts to create healthy, hunger-free communities. We implore the Senate to reject these devastating recommendations and vote NO on any bill that contains cuts to SNAP.
Food is not a privilege. It is a basic human right.
Take action now. Please complete our updated Action Alert to tell your senators to vote NO on cuts to SNAP and Medicaid.
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