Portland, OR – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley continued his statewide tour of Oregon to highlight the very real impacts that the recently passed Senate budget will have on Oregonians and the need for a different approach that puts the middle class first. Merkley visited the Oregon Food Bank in Portland to discuss how the Senate budget would make drastic cuts to food stamps for low income Oregonians.
“For too many Oregonians, putting food on the table is a day-to-day struggle. The last thing we should be doing is cutting a program that helps families fight hunger,” said Merkley.
Under the Republican budget passed last week by the Senate, which Senator Merkley voted against, $660 billion would be cut over ten years on programs that support low-income individuals and families, including SNAP benefits. In the House budget, SNAP benefit reductions would jeopardize nutrition assistance for over 770,000 Oregon residents who receive SNAP to help them put food on the table.
“Individuals receiving SNAP benefits are some of the most vulnerable in our communities. If we want to make America work for working Americans, we should be making investments to improve food security, not slashing SNAP,” continued Merkley. “As a state that still struggles with hunger, Oregon would be particularly hard hit by these cuts.”
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