If passed, Oregon families will see SNAP benefits cut by 21%

Portland, OR — In a devastating blow to working families, children, and seniors, U.S. House Republicans narrowly passed a bill that would rip away essential food and healthcare support from millions of Americans. The bill passed on party lines by a single vote, and the measure is now subject to debate and amendments in the Senate. 

“This bill isn’t a budget fix,” said David Wieland, Policy Advocate at Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. “It is dismantling effective basic needs programs that have long been cornerstones of our country.” 

If passed, this legislation will have drastic harmful effects on Oregon families and will drive hunger and economic instability. The legislation includes deep cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, programs that millions of Americans rely on every day, while extending tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthiest Americans.

The impact on Oregonians would be profound. It would cut SNAP benefits by 21%, reducing average SNAP benefits to just $4.80 per day, and impose harsh time limits on food assistance for thousands more Oregonians, including seniors and parents, and completely exclude Oregonians who are refugees and immigrants.

Oregon’s Representative Cliff Bentz cast vote for the bill, even while his district has the most people per capita depending on SNAP and Medicaid in all of Oregon.

All other Oregon Congressional delegates voted to defend basic needs through a “nay” vote on the bill. 

Oregon is already in a hunger crisis 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, and over half of those are families with children.

“This heinous proposal upends decades of investment in ending hunger, promises to make America sicker and hungrier, and cruelly targets children in particular,” Wieland adds. “We know that when children lose access to SNAP, long-lasting health and behavioral impacts follow. Learning suffers and evictions increase. Congress has a choice, to invest in Oregon’s children now, or face a steep price later.”

Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon urges Oregonians to contact their Senators and demand they vote no on any legislation that takes away food, healthcare, or critical supports from struggling families.

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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.

www.oregonhunger.org 

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