Congressman Krishnamoorthi Calls for Protections to Anti-Hunger Programs Funding in Roundtable Discussion with Local Food Banks

CHICAGO - Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) participated in a roundtable discussion with elected officials, community leaders, and members of local food pantries, highlighting the importance of protecting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from devastating funding cuts. The SNAP program, formerly known as food stamps, has faced increasing threats to its funding levels from President Donald Trump's administration and Congressional Republicans, who have called for the House Agriculture Committee to cut programs by at least $230 billionthrough 2034 in their recent budget proposal. The majority of any potential cuts are expected to come at SNAP's expense, a program on which nearly two million Illinoisans, including more than 950,000 Cook County residents, depend for access to food for themselves and their families.

"No one in Illinois should have to lie awake at night worrying that their access to food will be taken away by Republicans to fund tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy," Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. "When I was a child, the food stamp program helped my family get back on our feet, and food banks, SNAP, and other anti-hunger programs are making that same difference for so many other families today. I will fight relentlessly to ensure that the two million Illinoisans who rely on this program to feed themselves and their families are protected."

"SNAP is our nation's most vital and effective anti-hunger program," Kate Maehr, executive director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, said. "Every day, SNAP lifts American households out of poverty and reduces food insecurity among our neighbors. Efforts to weaken or further restrict SNAP will only increase hunger and hardship at a time when need is already high. Food banks and other nonprofit organizations would never be able to make up the difference."

"The Northern Illinois Food Bank serves 570,000 neighbors a month. A reduction in SNAP benefits will severely impact our neighbors' ability to access the food they need to nourish their families' health and well-being. Additionally, it will strain our charitable food system and our ability to meet the demand," Julie Yurko, President and CEO of the Northern Illinois Food Bank, said.

The discussions around drastically cutting funding to the SNAP program come as Illinoisans are already facing high prices due to the latest round of President Trump's tariffs and the administration's inaction on avian flu. Congressman Krishnamoorthi has also recently called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate price gouging behaviors by food manufacturers in response to the recent increase in prices for common household items, such as eggs.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi, himself a former recipient of the SNAP program, understands how critical this program is. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found earlier this year that every dollar in additional SNAP benefits leads to an increase of $1.54 in gross domestic product (GDP) during an economic downturn. With millions of Illinoisans potentially facing a cost-of-living crisis and the state of Illinois facing the economic impact of President Trump's tariffs on Canada, Congressman Krishnamoorthi believes Congress should be investing further in the SNAP program, not discussing cuts to its funding.