Effort to protect SNAP comes as grocery prices increase, Trump admin attempted to leverage shutdown to undermine SNAP programs
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet joined the entire Senate Democratic Caucus to introduce the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025, which would repeal all the devastating Republican cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) made in the Republicans’ Big Ugly Betrayal bill.
“We’re the wealthiest country in the world, yet families are struggling to afford groceries,” said Hickenlooper. “Republicans pushed through the Big Ugly Betrayal bill, gutting SNAP to fund tax cuts for the richest Americans. Their cuts will take meals away from thousands of Coloradans. It’s cruel, and we need to fix it.”
“Across Colorado, families tell me they’re working hard but still can’t keep up with the cost of groceries,” said Bennet. “SNAP is an essential lifeline for more than 600,000 Coloradans. But in a moment of rising need, the devastating cuts Republicans passed this summer are already taking hold, with even deeper reductions ahead. That means parents skipping meals so their kids can eat, seniors choosing between groceries and prescriptions, farmers losing customers, food pantries stretched to the brink, and local grocers seeing fewer sales. This won’t only harm families, it will strain entire communities and local economies. With this bill, we can reverse that damage and make sure Colorado families can put food on the table.”
SNAP is the nation’s largest food assistance program, serving 42 million Americans. This past July, Republicans voted to strip $186 billion from SNAP in their “Big Ugly Betrayal Bill”, marking the largest cut to the program in history, even as grocery prices rise and President Trump’s tariff costs increase. In Colorado, over 600,000 people – or 10% of the state population – rely on SNAP benefits.
These Republican cuts will take meals from millions of Americans, including children, seniors, veterans, workers, and people with disabilities, while harming farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and grocers who rely on SNAP dollars. Additionally, the Republican Budget Betrayal creates a massive unfunded mandate on state governments that could force deep cuts or even eliminate SNAP entirely.
During the Republicans’ government shutdown, the Trump administration illegally attempted to withhold funding for SNAP programs, jeopardizing millions of Americans’ meals. The senators introduced the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act to protect Americans’ food access while the Trump Administration illegally withholds available funds. In October, Hickenlooper also called on the Trump administration to immediately release SNAP benefits. This latest attack on food assistance comes after President Trump signed the Republican-led budget bill into law earlier this summer, which cut billions from SNAP.
Full text of the legislation available HERE.
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