Rep. Gabe Vasquez Demands USDA Issue Funds to Protect New Mexican Families’ November SNAP Benefits

WASHINGTON, D.C.- On October 24, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02)led a call demanding that Department of Agriculture Secretary Rollins use available contingency funds to ensure hardworking New Mexicans receive their November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP) benefits on time. Without immediate action, tens of thousands of New Mexico families could lose access to the food they rely on, forcing parents to choose between feeding their children and paying their other bills.

In aletterto Secretary Rollins, Rep. Vasquez and other Democratic lawmakers note, "USDA still has significant funding available in SNAP's contingency reserve - which Congress provides precisely for this reason - that can be used to fund the bulk of November benefits. We urge USDA to use these funds for November SNAP benefits and issue clear guidance to states on how to navigate benefit issuance."

"My top priority right now is working across the aisle with Republicans to end this shutdown as soon as possible, but in the interim, while Speaker Johnson remains unwilling to bring Republicans back to D.C. to negotiate, there is absolutely no reason for the administration to withhold SNAP benefits from New Mexican families who need this money to pay for food," said Vasquez. "The administration must use every tool possible to ensure folks receive their November SNAP benefits on time and find a long-term solution to ensure New Mexicans have access to affordable food."

New Mexico has the nation's highest SNAP reliance rate, with 450,000 New Mexicansrelying on the food assistance program to pay for groceries and other essentials.

• 1 in 4New Mexicans rely on SNAP benefits, including many people with disabilities, seniors, veterans, and children
• When looking at New Mexican children, this number increases to 1 in 2, with 38%of SNAP recipients in New Mexico under the age of 18
• A majority (62%) of SNAP recipients work

SNAP benefits recently came under attack in the Republican tax law, which cut spending on food assistance by $186 billion in order to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and large corporations. Additionally, the administration's tariffs policies continue to drive up the price of beef, coffee, and other basic groceries for New Mexican families.

As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Gabe Vasquez is committed to ensuring New Mexicans can afford to put high-quality, nutritious food on the table to fuel their families by:

• Continuing to work with local food pantries like Roadrunner Food Bank to support federal funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which helps farmers and families by supporting the purchase of commodities to send them directly from farmers to food banks.
• Working with state and local partners to protect access to free school lunch programs and expand food assistance programs that serve seniors and Tribal communities.
• Pushing to fix SNAP, not cut it, with commonsense reforms like the Hot Foods Act to give families a full range of choices at the grocery store, including ready-to-eat meals.

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