WASHINGTON — Today, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Governors Laura Kelly (KS), Andy Beshear (KY), Maura Healey (MA), and Matt Meyer (DE) held a press conference on how Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal will take food assistance away from millions of Americans, including seniors, children, and veterans. The Republican bill will raise grocery costs and increase hunger, while blowing a hole in state budgets by shifting billions of dollars of SNAP costs onto states. This comes after all Democratic Governors called on Congress not to cut SNAP or shift costs to states.
“Congressional Republicans are rushing to raise costs and take food away from millions of Americans, all to fund tax breaks for the wealthy,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This bill will harm the Americans who count on SNAP to put food on the table; force governors to choose between funding food assistance or investing in education, public safety, and infrastructure; and be a major hit to our farmers. It only takes four Republicans in the Senate or four in the House to make a difference. That’s why we’re speaking out.”
“SNAP helps address hunger and puts healthy food on the table for nearly 190,000 Kansans, including 87,000 kids,” said Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. “This reckless legislation would force kids to go hungry and increase costs for all Americans. Perhaps most importantly, these cuts won’t discriminate—they would harm red states and blue states alike and cause damaging ripple effects across the economy including a $24 billion loss to the agriculture industry.”
“In America, we grow enough food to feed every single person, so there is no reason anyone—especially a child—should be hungry. The bill that Congress is negotiating is wrong and cruel. And it doesn’t even work,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. “If passed, it will add trillions to our national debt and blow a hole in state budgets across the country. Our elected leaders in Congress should be working to pass legislation that will help people, not hurt them.”
“SNAP is a foundation for economic mobility that reduces hunger, improves health and lowers costs for us all. It's an economic driver that injects $3 billion in the Massachusetts economy and supports thousands of businesses and farmers,” said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. “Republicans in Congress need to do the right thing and reject these cuts that will force children, seniors and veterans to go hungry and take away business from local retailers and farmers.”
“Taking away food assistance hurts families and weakens the foundation of our state. 37,000 Delawareans will face a deeply uncertain future if these proposed cuts to food assistance go forward — that’s nearly 4 percent of our population,” said Delaware Governor Matt Meyer. “As a former math teacher, I can tell you that slashing food assistance is more than just bad math, it’s bad morals. We must choose compassion over cuts and community over crisis.”
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