Last week, Congress passed legislation that will gut SNAP and Medicaid and leave tens of thousands of struggling families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities in New Jersey without access to healthcare and healthy food.
SNAP is the first line of defense against hunger and food insecurity in our state and across the nation. In 2024, approximately 827,200 NJ residents depended on SNAP to put food on the table. Of those who rely on SNAP, one in three are people with disabilities, one in five are seniors, and nearly half are children. And children who lose SNAP benefits as a result of these cuts will also lose direct certification for free school meals and Summer EBT, making it more difficult to access these critical child nutrition programs.
More than 1 million people in the Garden State experience food insecurity, and that number has steadily climbed since the height of the pandemic. As these cuts take effect, fewer people will be able to afford groceries or access essential healthcare. This will not only deepen hardship for families and seniors but also place added pressure on already overwhelmed food banks, pantries, and other organizations to fill the growing gap.
It is said that budgets are moral documents, reflecting our values and priorities as a society. Last week, Congress chose to prioritize tax cuts for the wealthiest households and corporations by taking food and healthcare away from millions of Americans. Congress made the wrong choice, and history will look back on this decision as a catastrophic moral and economic failure.
In our land of plenty, no one should go hungry. Hunger Free New Jersey, along with our partners across the state, will continue our advocacy and outreach work to fight hunger and food insecurity and ensure that all in New Jersey have access to healthy food every day.
