I urge you to support a two-year delay in the SNAP cost shift to states.

SNAP strengthens communities across the country. It helps families access nutritious food while also supporting local economies, including grocery stores, small businesses, farmers and food producers. These benefits are especially important in rural communities, where local retailers often depend on SNAP-driven spending to sustain operations and employment.

Without additional time to prepare, states may be forced to make difficult and avoidable choices, such as reducing access to SNAP, cutting other essential public services or increasing taxes on residents. These outcomes would place unnecessary strain on families and communities. Food banks are committed to making sure people across the country have access to the nutritious food they need. However, stability for children, seniors, veterans and working families facing hunger can only be ensured when charitable assistance is paired with the efficiency of federal nutrition programs like SNAP.

A two-year delay in implementing the SNAP cost shift would provide all states with the time needed to:

- Strengthen program operations and improve accuracy.
- Protect access to food assistance for families, seniors, veterans and children.
- Avoid harmful impacts on local economies and essential services.

When families use SNAP benefits, those dollars have an impact beyond the checkout line; they circulate locally, helping sustain jobs, support local food systems and keep small businesses strong. In fact, every SNAP dollar generates additional economic activity in communities across the country, reinforcing the connection between food access and local economic stability.

I urge you to act now to delay the SNAP cost shift for all states and ensure that families continue to have reliable access to food assistance while states build the capacity needed for long-term program stability.