Title
Condemning Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration for their dramatic, ill-advised, and harmful cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Body
WHEREAS, For over 60 years, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as Food Stamps or Food Assistance, has been a critical income support program for low-income Philadelphians; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 500,000 Philadelphians, one-third of our City’s residents, receive SNAP benefits; and
WHEREAS, Two-thirds of SNAP recipients are children, seniors over age 60, and people with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, A robust body of scientific research has shown that SNAP benefits improve health outcomes, increase access to healthy food, reduce health care costs, stimulate the economy, and help communities recover from natural disasters; and
WHEREAS, Congressional Republicans passed, and President Trump signed H.R. 1 on July 4, 2025; and
WHEREAS, H.R. 1 includes the most dramatic cuts to SNAP in the program's history; and
WHEREAS, Because of H.R. 1, many Philadelphians receiving SNAP will be subject to harsh time limits that cut off their benefits after 3 months if they cannot meet burdensome paperwork requirements to verify that they are working; and
WHEREAS, H.R. 1 expands the reach of that 3-month time limit to parents and grandparents raising children older than 14 years old, and seniors ages 55 to 64. It prevents Pennsylvania from seeking a waiver from the requirement for Philadelphia on account of our City’s elevated unemployment rate; and
WHEREAS, As a result, an estimated 45,000 Philadelphians are at risk of losing their SNAP because of these policy changes; and
WHEREAS, For most of SNAP’s history, the federal government picked up the bill for all benefits and 75 percent of state’s costs to administer the program. H.R. 1 significantly shifts the cost of SNAP onto states; and
WHEREAS, According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Pennsylvania would have to contribute between $212 to $636 million in state dollars to keep SNAP running once H.R. 1’s cost-shifting provisions take effect in 2027; and
WHEREAS, The shifting of administrative costs to states could cause Pennsylvania to shut down County Assistance Offices that Philadelphians rely on to access and maintain SNAP, Medicaid, and other public benefits; and
WHEREAS, H.R. 1 eliminated funding for the SNAP Nutrition and Obesity Prevention Grant Program, SNAP-Education (SNAP-Ed), and SNAP-Ed Community Wellness Planners, further reducing SNAP’s beneficial impacts; and
WHEREAS, H.R.1 also ended SNAP eligibility to thousands of immigrants with lawful status based on humanitarian need, such as refugees and asylees; and
WHEREAS, By cutting critical supports for the working class to fund tax cuts for billionaires, Congressional Republicans and President Trump have committed a great error and injustice that will be felt deeply in Philadelphia; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it condemns Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration for their dramatic, ill-advised, and harmful cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
End