Bay Area food banks warn Trump's "big, beautiful bill" would slash federal SNAP funding
With GOP lawmakers looking at a July Fourth deadline to pass President Trump's "big, beautiful bill," the leaders of five major food banks in the Bay Area are urging lawmakers to reconsider a provision of it that would impact the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
"The cuts that are on the table in Congress are the greatest rollback in food assistance that we have seen in modern U.S. history," said Leslie Bacho, CEO of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.
The proposed bill would slash billions of dollars of federal funding for SNAP and shift much of the financial responsibility to individual states. Congressional Republicans who support the cuts say this will help eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse within SNAP. But in a letter addressed to lawmakers, 23 governors warned this will result in states dramatically reducing access to critical food assistance for those who need it most.
"These cuts are being rushed through. They're being jammed through. This is not the usual order of business. This is happening swiftly, and it is cruel," said Tanis Crosby, Executive Director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.
"Our federal government is creating a crisis," said Caitlin Sly, CEO of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
"It will mean that in our community, there is clear and present danger for 175,000 households in this Bay Area to lose SNAP benefits," Crosby said.
"One in four children in California rely on SNAP. SNAP is not just a safety net. It is a foundation for stability and most importantly, for dignity," Sly said.
Aside from children, the leaders of the food banks say SNAP helps feed seniors on fixed incomes, people with disabilities, and families struggling to get by.
"SNAP is the single-most effective anti-poverty tool that we have in this country, and it works," Crosby said.
People who lose access to SNAP benefits would likely turn to food banks, currently trying to do more with less as they cater to a historic need.
"All of our elected officials right now have the opportunity to speak out, raise awareness, and prevent these harmful cuts from impacting the most vulnerable in our community," Sly said.
The bill is not a done deal yet, but President Trump continues to push GOP lawmakers to have it on his desk by Independence Day.
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