DELAWARE. - Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer is now one of 23 governors to join a petition to Congress warning against proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
SNAP is a federal government program that provides food-purchasing assistance for low-income and no-income persons to help them maintain adequate nutrition and health.
Proposed cuts to SNAP are a part of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which has been approved by the House and is currently awaiting Senate approval. The act would cut nearly $300 billion from SNAP throughout the next eight years, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. This would be the largest cut to SNAP in the program's history.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, SNAP assisted 117,700 Delaware residents, or 11 percent of the state population, in 2024.
"The proposed SNAP cuts would directly hurt thousands of Delaware families—our neighbors and friends who rely on this critical support to put food on their tables," Meyer stated. "Delaware simply cannot absorb millions in added costs without sacrificing investments in schools, healthcare, and public safety. We urge Congress to reject these harmful cuts, protect SNAP and stand with working people who deserve dignity, not deeper hardship."
The petition, led by North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, warns congressional leadership that cuts on the federal level will result in individual states having to absorb SNAP expenses into their state budgets.
"Congress is forcing states into an impossible ultimatum: either come up with new funding to backfill federal cuts or cut off families from essential food assistance," Stein wrote. "If states cannot meet the full cost share, they will need to cut SNAP enrollment or end their program entirely."
Meyer will join U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for a virtual press conference on June 25 at 4 p.m.