Attorney General Jeff Jackson Calls on Congress to Restore SNAP Benefits and Protect Food Assistance in Farm Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 12, 2026
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Federal Cuts Have Threatened Food Assistance for Millions of Americans

RALEIGH - Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson and a coalition of 23 attorneys general are calling on congressional leaders to restore Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and eligibility protections in the upcoming Farm Bill.

SNAP provides critical food support to more than 1.4 million North Carolinians. That includes nearly 600,000 children. Changes to benefits or eligibility requirements have made it harder for families, seniors, and veterans to afford groceries and meet basic needs.

"Over a million people in our state depend on SNAP to afford groceries," said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. "We need to protect this program and make it easier for seniors, veterans, and working families to put food on the table."

Attorney General Jackson has previously taken action to protect SNAP benefits for North Carolinians. Last October, he sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture after the agency withheld SNAP payments, helping restore food assistance for families across the state. The court ruled in favor of Attorney General Jackson and ordered the federal government to pay benefits, which it did within days. Then in November, he sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture for requiring the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to implement new complex guidance for SNAP eligibility in a 24-hour period and threatening to withhold $425 million in SNAP funds if it was not immediately implemented correctly. A court entered a preliminary injunction in favor of Attorney General Jackson.

Now, recent SNAP cuts are creating new barriers for eligible families while shifting billions of dollars in costs onto states and local governments. States would be forced to take on billions in additional expenses and increase administrative work, placing a major strain on state budgets and local communities.

In a letter to Senate leadership and the leaders of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Attorney General Jackson and the coalition urged lawmakers to restore SNAP benefit levels and funding instead of making it hard for seniors, children, veterans, and working families to access food assistance.

The letter was sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman, and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar. Joining Attorney General Jackson in sending the letter are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

A copy of the letter is available here.

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