Democrats in the U.S. Congress are warning that proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will directly impact 450,000 New Mexicans and could have widespread impacts on the economy, not just on low-income people who rely on the benefits to put food on the table.
U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luján, D-New Mexico, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, hosted a spotlight forum Wednesday to bring attention to how the Republican budget bill’s proposed nearly $300 billion cuts to SNAP could impact communities nationwide.
“This would devastate availability of food to the most vulnerable, to working families across the country, children, parents, seniors, veterans. There’s just no question,” Luján said.
The forum included testimony from expert witnesses including Katy Anderson, the vice president of strategy, partnerships and advocacy at the Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico.
She said the cuts will directly impact 41 million people nationally and 450,000 New Mexicans.
“[SNAP] plays an important role in New Mexico, with 21% of the state’s residents relying on the program in order to ensure access to food,” Anderson said. “More than 61% of participants are in families with children. 31% are in families with members who are older adults or are disabled, and 43% are in working families. The vast majority of SNAP recipients in New Mexico and nationally, are children and seniors.”
She said states are not prepared to take more fiscal responsibility for providing nutritional support to their residents.
Anderson said under the current proposal, New Mexico would see a total annual cost increase to its budget of about $268 million, equivalent to 95 million meals.
“New Mexico food banks and our network of over 500 on the ground, committed hard working partner organizations, including nearly 200 churches, from larger population centers to the smallest of communities, cannot fill that hole,” she said.
He said the cuts proposed in the version of the budget bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives last month would represent a “shocking reversal” in a long-standing promise between the government and the American people.
“For the past 50 years, we have maintained a promise to the American people, regardless of which party is in power, no matter how hard times get or where you live, we will not let fellow Americans descend so far into poverty in the United States that there’s no program to prevent them from starving,” he said.
Luján said just because someone doesn’t directly benefit from SNAP doesn’t mean they won’t be impacted by the cuts.
Democrats say the cuts could harm farmers and ranchers as well as lead to grocery stores closing and expanded food deserts.
While the budget bill — also known as the One Big, Beautiful Bill — passed the U.S. House of Representatives in May, it is still making its way through the U.S. Senate.
President Donald Trump is urging Congress to get the bill to his desk before the Fourth of July.
However, not all Republican senators are on board with the legislation. Among those who have expressed concerns is Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, who published an op-ed in the New York Times last month opposing cuts to Medicaid funding.
GOOD……It’s time to stop the gravy train.
Plw
Please identify just what exactly the cuts are. Is it changes in the eligibility requirements? Is it modifications to the amount of SNAP benefits awarded? Is it reinstating the asset restrictions? Just saying that there will be cuts without identifying what those cuts would be is irresponsible.
450,000 New Mexicans… Are these New Mexicans legal citizens who are eligible for the program?
The Trump Admin is simply cutting out fraud, waste and abuse from these programs.
Illegal aliens are encouraged to take advantage of these programs that the taxpayers thought are intended for our citizens
No way 450,000 affected in NM. He’s lying again.