~ In Hawaii, there are over 163,000 SNAP participants across the state ~
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senators Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and the rest of the Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025. The legislation would repeal all the devastating Republican cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) made in Republicans’ “Big Ugly Bill.” U.S. Representatives Jahana Hayes (D-CT) and Angie Craig (D-MN) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Additionally, last week, nearly 1,500 national, state, and community-based organizations joined a letter voicing support for this effort.
SNAP is a lifeline for over 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans. In Hawaii, there are over 163,000 SNAP participants across the state. Congress has typically upheld a 50-year bipartisan commitment that Americans should not go hungry, but the Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill breaks that promise with the largest SNAP cuts in history.
“Over 160,000 people in Hawaii and 40 million Americans across the country rely on SNAP to support their families and put food on the table. Yet, Trump and Republicans gutted SNAP funding in their ‘Big Ugly Bill’ and refused to fully fund these benefits during the recent shutdown, making it abundantly clear that they do not care if millions of Americans starve,” said Senator Hirono. “As Trump continues to give millions in tax breaks to his billionaire buddies, this Democrat-led legislation would help to reverse these harmful funding cuts. Working families across the country are struggling to afford to eat, and millions more will suffer because of these cuts. Democrats will not stop working until every American has access to the resources to keep their families fed and healthy.”
To fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, Congressional Republicans approved cuts that the Congressional Budget Office estimates will eliminate $187 billion in food assistance over the next decade, even as grocery prices rise and President Trump’s tariff costs increase. These Republican cuts will take meals from millions of Americans, including children, seniors, veterans, workers, and people with disabilities, while also harming farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and grocers who rely on SNAP dollars. Additionally, the Republican budget bill creates a massive unfunded mandate on state governments that could force deep cuts or even eliminate SNAP entirely.
During the government shutdown, Senator Hirono joined Senator Lujan and the rest of the Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act, legislation to provide funds for SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) while the Trump Administration was illegally withholding available funds. Senator Hirono also joined her colleagues in introducing a resolution calling on Senate Republicans to force President Trump to immediately use all congressionally approved funding to keep families from going hungry.
In addition to Senators Hirono, Lujan, Schumer, Klobuchar, and Merkley, the legislation was also cosponsored by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI.), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The full text of the legislation is available here.
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