Salem, Oregon – A food bank in Northeast Portland had already served roughly 350 people earlier in the day when another conversation about hunger began inside its walls. This one brought Governor Tina Kotek face to face with Oregonians who say recent federal SNAP changes have reshaped something as basic as putting food on the table.
The numbers behind those stories are substantial. About 35,000 Oregonians have lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits because of changes included in HR 1, which expanded federal work requirements and altered eligibility for some adults. Kotek met directly with six families who had lost assistance.
“What has always been key to my work has been listening to the people who are hurting and listening to the people working hard to help them,” Kotek said.
“Today, I sat down with Oregonians who have lost their SNAP benefits because of President Trump and his Big Ugly Bill, and what I heard was heartbreaking. Hunger should not be a political weapon, and Oregon will not stand by while families go without food.”
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The weekend discussion also included food security advocates, farmers, state employees and community leaders. Participants described a problem that was already widespread before the latest benefit changes.
According to the most recent data cited by the Oregon Department of Human Services, one in eight Oregonians experiences food insecurity, including one in six children. More than half a million people statewide face food insecurity each year, with higher rates among lower-income households, families with children, rural communities and communities of color.
SNAP participation has also fallen sharply. Before the federal changes, about 757,000 Oregonians received benefits. ODHS reported approximately 646,000 recipients in June.
For people affected by the new work rules, ODHS employees are reviewing individual cases for exemptions or good-cause exceptions. The agency is also connecting eligible residents with employment, education and training through the Oregon Employment Department and WorkSource Oregon.
Meanwhile, Oregon is preparing another change intended to protect benefits that remain. New SNAP EBT cards containing chips are expected in coming months as part of an effort to reduce benefit theft.
“These changes to SNAP in HR 1 have nothing to do with fraud or getting people back to work—it’s all about tax cuts for billionaires and cutting people’s benefits,” Representative Andrea Valderrama said.
The roundtable was held at Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s food bank in Northeast Portland and included representatives from Oregon Food Bank, IRCO, Farmers Ending Hunger, Oregon State University and ODHS. A recording of the discussion is available here.
