Michigan Families Urge Reps. Barrett And James To Reverse Harmful SNAP Cuts And Protect Vulnerable Michiganders
Michigan Families For Fair Care is calling on Representatives Tom Barrett (MI-07) and John James (MI-10) to reverse their harmful cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that are set to fully take effect on March 1, and restore funding that protects the health and well-being of so many Michiganders.
“Instead of standing up for Michigan families who are already doing everything right and still struggling to afford groceries, Reps. Tom Barrett and John James voted to gut SNAP so the ultra-wealthy can pocket even bigger tax breaks,” said Michigan Families For Fair Care executive director Steve Lawson. “We need leadership with a real plan to lower costs. James and Barrett are choosing billionaires and big corporations over the parents, seniors, and veterans they swore to represent.”
“These cuts aren’t abstract numbers. They’re the difference between having enough food to eat, or going hungry,” said Rebecca, MI-10 resident and SNAP recipient. “Representative John James voted for cuts to the program that makes sure I have access to food, which tells me our health and safety matter less than another set of tax breaks for the richest one percent. People need to know that without a safety net, more and more people will fall through the cracks.”
Barrett’s and James’s vote to slash funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is resulting in taking food off the table for children, seniors, veterans, and working families while giving tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. Additionally, SNAP changes come at a time when tariffs have increased the price of groceries, further burdening individuals who relied on a safety net to keep themselves and their families from starvation.
In Michigan, these cuts are already hitting home. An estimated 123,000 Michiganders are at risk of losing some of their SNAP benefits. The same law that James and Barrett supported also threatens more than 2,200 Michigan grocery stores and SNAP retailers with financial instability and decreased business.
