ICYMI: Congresswoman Kim Schrier (WA-08) Sees Empty Shelves at Food Lifeline As Federal Government Cuts SNAP and Programs That Support Food Banks

This week, Congresswoman Kim Schrier joined community leaders and staff at Food Lifeline-an organization that supplies Washington food banks-to discuss how the recent passage of Republicans' Big Ugly Bill is endangering access to food by dramatically cutting nutrition assistance programs.

"The unconscionable cuts to food assistance programs in the Republicans' Big Ugly Bill mean that more children will go to bed hungry," said Congresswoman Schrier. "When people can't use SNAP benefits to shop at local grocery stores and support the economy, they turn to food banks. All of this is happening at a time when DOGE is cutting essential programs, including those that supply local food banks with fresh produce from farms across Washington, and as economic strain is already making it harder for people to donate to food banks. It is morally bankrupt and just plain wrong that Republicans are leaving my constituents hungrier, sicker, and poorer to give massive tax breaks to billionaires.

"Earlier this year, the newly elected Congress cut billions from school meal programs and food pantries. Now, their recently passed budget reconciliation bill includes the largest cup to SNAP in history, resulting in the loss of up to 9 billion meals each year nationwide", says Food Lifeline's Interim CEO, Megan Blado Cooper. "We believe that access to culturally relevant, nourishing food is a basic human right, and partisan politics should be off the table."

To view photos from the Congresswoman's visit, click here.

The Republican-led budget bill cuts SNAP by 20 percent while forcing states to cover a greater share of SNAP's costs, which could lead to dozens of states, such as Washington, being forced to eliminate SNAP entirely. Hundreds of thousands of households in Washington State, half with children, depend on SNAP assistance to access vital nutrition. The Trump Administration is cutting support for food assistance and Apple Health to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest.