As hunger rises, Congress must reject cuts to food and basic needs

Far too many Oregonians are struggling. So why would Congress put forward proposals that take away food and health care from Oregonians? Oregon’s Congressional delegation must reject these harmful ideas and instead champion policies that build a brighter future for everyone — not just a wealthy few.

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To put things into perspective: last year, we saw 2.5 million visits to the Oregon Food Bank Network — more than 1,200 food assistance sites across Oregon and Southwest Washington. That’s a 31% increase from the year before. According to the USDA, one-third more Oregonians experience hunger than before the pandemic.

During the pandemic, increased federal support — like higher SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) and the monthly Child Tax Credit — had a measurable impact on reducing hunger. But those expansions expired, and poverty has increased across the country. With the high cost of food and housing forcing families to make impossible choices between keeping a roof over their heads or putting food on the table, it's no surprise that hunger has reached crisis levels here in Oregon.

Proposals being considered in Congress threaten to make these problems worse, not better. Oregon’s Congressional delegation should be strengthening support, not cutting it. Yet we know that proposals under consideration include (read the full list of proposals):

SNAP

• Reducing SNAP benefits for over 700,000 Oregonians by rolling back a recent improvement to how SNAP benefits are calculated.

• Taking away SNAP from working families by eliminating “categorical eligibility” and creating a harmful “benefit cliff,” meaning that earning over a set amount would cause a significant dropoff of benefits.

• Ending the “Heat and Eat” program, which helps people with high heating and energy bills qualify for additional support.

• Imposing harsher time limits for people struggling to find full-time work — despite clear evidence that time limits don’t work.

School meals

• Over 700 schools in Oregon would lose the ability to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, rolling back years of progress.

• Families and schools would face a greater administrative burden in applying for free meals.

Additional proposals

• Health Care: Proposals would take away health insurance and increase costs for the nearly one in four Oregonians who rely on Medicaid.

• Housing: Rolling back rental assistance and putting more families at risk of losing their homes.

These harmful proposals are in addition to cuts already made by the USDA to emergency food assistance. The USDA canceled 30 truckloads of food to Oregon alone starting this month (April 2025), a loss of 1.4 million pounds of food that will not be distributed to Oregonians in need of assistance anymore.

As if these proposals weren’t harmful enough, they’re being justified as a way to pay for tax cuts that mostly benefit people with the highest incomes and wealth.

Take Action: Contact your members of Congress today

We all have a role to play in shaping a better future — one where everyone has access to food, health care and housing. Click the button below to easily contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives. Tell them to reject proposals that would take away support from Oregonians!

EMAIL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS NOW

Resources

• 2025 Budget Stakes: Millions Could Lose Needed Food Assistance (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

• 2025 Budget Stakes: Proposals Would Reduce Children’s Access to School Meals and Other Food Assistance (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

• Oregon Fact Sheet: SNAP (Food Research & Action Center)

• Oregon Fact Sheet: School Meals (Food Research & Action Center)

• New Proposal Drastically Reduces Number of Schools Eligible for Community Eligibility Provision (Food Research & Action Center)