By Vanguard Staff
OAKLAND, Calif. — California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general this week in urging congressional leaders to restore Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and eligibility protections in the upcoming Farm Bill, warning that recent federal cuts are increasing hunger and shifting significant costs onto states and local governments.
In a letter to Senate leadership and the leaders of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, the coalition argued that the Senate has an opportunity to reverse what they describe as the largest reductions to food assistance in modern history and reaffirm a bipartisan commitment to ensuring Americans have access to food assistance when needed.
“No one should go hungry in the richest country in the world. Yet President Trump and Congressional Republicans cut SNAP benefits last year, making it harder for millions of low-income families to put food on the table,” Bonta said. “As the Senate considers the upcoming Farm Bill, it should reverse these SNAP cuts. My fellow attorneys general and I took the Trump Administration to court when it tried to withhold SNAP benefits during the 2025 government shutdown, and we are once again fighting for those in need.”
According to the coalition, SNAP currently provides food assistance to more than 5 million Californians each month. The attorneys general contend that new federal restrictions enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including expanded work requirements and additional administrative hurdles, could make it significantly more difficult for eligible residents to retain benefits and could push some recipients off the program entirely.
The coalition argued in its letter that expanded work requirements and administrative barriers do not create jobs or reduce poverty. Instead, they said, such policies often result in eligible individuals losing assistance because they are unable to navigate increasingly complex eligibility and reporting requirements.
The attorneys general also expressed concern about the economic consequences of the new SNAP provisions. They said recently enacted cost-sharing requirements would require states to absorb billions of dollars in additional expenses while taking on substantial new administrative responsibilities, marking a significant departure from the federal government’s traditional role in funding the program.
In California, state officials estimate the changes could cost the state and counties more than $670 million annually beginning this year and an additional $2 billion annually starting next year. The coalition warned that these financial obligations could force states to choose between cutting other essential services or reducing food assistance programs for vulnerable residents.
The attorneys general urged the Senate to take a different approach from the House-passed Farm Bill, which they said does not reverse recent reductions in food assistance. The coalition called on senators to restore SNAP benefit levels and funding, reverse or delay new cost-sharing requirements, and roll back expanded work requirements and eligibility restrictions.
The letter also asks lawmakers to reject further benefit cuts, preserve state flexibility in administering the program, and strengthen access to nutrition assistance for seniors, children, veterans and working families.
The letter was sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman and Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar.
The effort was led by Letitia James and included attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
