Merkley, Wyden Join Senate Democrats to Warn About Republicans Raising Food Costs to Give Tax Breaks to Billionaires
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, Ranking Members of the Senate Budget and Finance Committees, respectively, joined their colleagues in sending an open letter to the American public warning that Congressional Republicans are trying to take food away from hungry families in order to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. After promising to lower prices for families, Republicans in Congress are instead raising grocery costs and making it harder for families to put food on the table.
“Congress should not give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans by taking away food assistance from millions of Americans,” wrote Merkley, Wyden, and more than 40 other Senators. “SNAP supports 42 million Americans, including nearly 8 million seniors, 16 million children, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans, in putting food on their tables each month. Cuts of this magnitude—or anything close to it—would be devastating to American families in every state.”
The letter, led by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); and signed by Merkley and Wyden and 42 of their colleagues, comes as Republicans in the Senate and House have passed a budget resolution that would fast-track cuts to nutrition assistance.
As of April 11, 2025, SNAP is helping 774,581 people in Oregon put food on the table. In fiscal year 2024, SNAP brought $1,596,585,242 to Oregon, according to the Food Research and Action Center.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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