Merkley, Wyden Fighting to Reverse SNAP Cuts and Restore Food Security for Millions of Americans
Washington, D.C. – After Trump and Congressional Republicans earlier this year passed their ‘Big, Ugly BETRAYAL’ of a budget bill that will let millions of families go hungry, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus—including Oregon’s U.S. Senator Ron Wyden—in introducing the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025. This legislation would repeal all the devastating cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) made by Congressional Republicans and Donald Trump.
Congress has upheld a 50-year bipartisan commitment that Americans should not go hungry, but the Republican budget bill breaks that promise with the largest SNAP cuts in history. To fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, Congressional Republicans approved cuts that the Congressional Budget Office estimates will eliminate $187 billion in food assistance over the next decade, even as grocery prices rise and President Trump’s tariff costs increase. These Republican cuts will take meals from millions of Americans, including children, seniors, veterans, workers, and people with disabilities, while harming farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and grocers who rely on SNAP dollars. Additionally, the Republicans’ ‘Big, Ugly’ bill creates a massive unfunded mandate on state governments that could force deep cuts and jeopardize the long-term stability of SNAP.
“Children, seniors, and low-income families will go hungry because of the Republican cuts to SNAP. This is yet another heartbreaking consequence of the Republican agenda to fund tax breaks for the ultrarich while working families struggle,” said Merkley. “Under Trump, it is always the red carpet for billionaires and red tape for families. I’ll keep fighting to reverse these devastating cuts.”
“Donald Trump and his Republican enablers in Congress have made it painfully clear that they’ll weaponize food in pursuit of every last opportunity to enrich billionaires even further,” said Wyden. “At a time when American families should be thinking about Thanksgiving meals, Trump snatching access to food away from millions of children, seniors and families is simply unconscionable. These barriers to access food must be removed.”
SNAP is a lifeline for over 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans. Approximately 757,000 Oregonians rely on SNAP benefits to feed their families. This includes 130,000 seniors and 210,000 children across the state.
Merkley led the legislation with U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). U.S. Representatives Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
In addition to Wyden, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
The full text of the legislation can be found here.
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