MAY 16, 2025 –
The House Agriculture Committee voted to advance a federal budget proposal that cuts $300 billion in spending for basic food aid. If passed, this will have drastic harmful effects on Oregon families and will drive hunger and economic instability. This news further demonstrates that federal leadership does not prioritize working families.
“This bill is obviously not about fiscal savings – it is changing the core of these beloved programs, and gutting basic needs support for Americans,” says Sarah Weber-Ogden, Executive Director of Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon.
The bill includes drastic expansions to the work requirements, which are already a restrictive, complex and burdensome barrier for participation. For the first time ever, parents with children aged 7 and over, and adults aged 55 to 64 will be limited to receiving vital food aid for only three months over a three-year period, unless they can prove working 20 hours a week or more, regardless of their caretaking responsibilities. Estimates show that 1 in 4 participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants will lose food assistance under this provision.
In another ground-shaking change, the bill requires states to contribute a sizable portion of the cost for SNAP, something that has never been instituted in the history of the program. The proposal shifts $993 million biennially to the state of Oregon.
“Oregon families are already grappling with rising food and housing costs,” says Weber-Ogden. “Shifting nearly a billion dollars in SNAP costs to the state means critical services will be pitted against each other, putting vulnerable communities at even greater risk.”
The proposal comes on the heels of a state revenue projection that suggests Oregon lawmakers have hundreds of millions less than expected to spend over the next two years.
Oregon is already in a hunger crisis. One in six Oregon children is facing food insecurity and emergency food suppliers across the state are seeing historic levels of demand. Over 770,000 Oregonians rely on SNAP to meet their nutritional needs.
Another concerning piece of the bill is the proposal that SNAP eligibility be further limited based on immigration status. Currently, only a few limited immigrant communities such as refugees are eligible for SNAP, many after waiting periods of as long as five years. The proposal would further increase food insecurity for our immigrant neighbors, who already are two to three times more likely to be facing food insecurity.
The bill shows a $70 billion increase in cuts from what was previously stated.
“SNAP is the most direct intervention for food insecurity. It empowers families to buy the food that is healthy for them,” says Weber-Ogden. “It’s clear that Congress is putting the interests of the wealthy ahead of the basic dignity of working families who rely on SNAP to put food on the table.”
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ABOUT PARTNERS FOR A HUNGER-FREE OREGON
At Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, we work alongside those most impacted by hunger and poverty to advocate for systemic changes and better access to food. We believe everyone has the right to be free from hunger. To bring that vision into reality, we raise awareness about hunger, connect people to nutrition programs, and advocate for systemic changes.