An increasing number of our neighbors are struggling to put food on the table as costs continue to rise. The budget reconciliation law (H.R.1), passed in July 2025, will only make matters worse.

H.R.1 slashes $187 billion over the next decade from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), our nation’s first line of defense against hunger, in exchange for permanent tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations. Many of our neighbors –including children, veterans, people with disabilities, and older adults — will lose access to SNAP, putting their health and well-being at risk. And charity can’t fill the gap — for every meal provided by a food bank, SNAP provides nine.

SNAP does more than keep hunger at bay. It reduces childhood poverty, helps children excel in the classroom, lowers hospital visits, supports farmers and local retailers, and stimulates our local economy. Every SNAP dollar generates up to $1.80 in local economic activity during downturns.

Our policymakers need to understand that SNAP matters. Three-quarters of Americans (76%), nationally and across partisanship, say they could not support an elected official who voted to cut SNAP and Medicaid to give tax breaks to the rich and big corporations, according to a Navigator Research poll.

Join me in telling Congress that they must use any legislative vehicle to reverse the cruel and harmful SNAP cuts. Together, our policymakers can ensure everyone in the country has access to the nutrition they need to thrive.

Mary Jean Sharp

Altoona