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. As a result, we’ll see harsher time limits on benefits on larger numbers of people, including veterans, older adults, people with disabilities, and families with older children, if they cannot document work hours. Last summer’s budget package forces states for the first time 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.

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. CHN was proud to support new legislation in Congress that will restore the SNAP cuts made in the Big Brutal Budget, with support of nearly 1500 organizations across the country. We hope CHN’s partners will join us in efforts to roll back the historic cuts to SNAP – and an important first step is for Congress to delay implementation of the cost shifts to states in upcoming spending legislation.

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

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. USDA data show that 60% of SNAP households with children and a non-elderly, non-disabled adult have earnings―but not enough to cover basic needs.

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 penalize people with moderate savings or who get a slight bump in income by taking SNAP away from almost 6 million people nationwide. While the administration backtracked on their plans to make SNAP participants fill out extra paperwork after they’ve already been certified, millions are facing the loss of SNAP benefits over the coming months and years. And, families with children who lose SNAP also lose automatic enrollment for free school meals & streamlined eligibility for WIC.

The effects of these cuts are far-reaching. We cannot allow them to continue. Use and share CHN Action’s online tool to send a message today to demand that Congress reverse the cuts made to SNAP.