More than 40 RGV groups urge Cornyn and Cruz to reject SNAP cuts

PHARR, Texas – More than 40 nonprofit organizations and churches in the Rio Grande Valley have written to U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz urging them to reject a proposed $300 billion cut in the SNAP program.

SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The letter was organized by Feeding Texas. Including Feeding Texas, 50 statewide organizations have signed the letter. The number of local organizations and churches from across Texas to have signed the letter currently stands at 205.

“We are writing as concerned members of the Texas nonprofit, retail, farm, faith-based, and healthcare communities to urge you to reject the $300 Billion in proposed cuts to SNAP in the Budget Reconciliation bill. These cuts will have a devastating impact on Texas seniors, veterans, children, and the Texas economy,” the various nonprofits and churches wrote, in their letter to Cornyn and Cruz.

“Texas continues to have the highest food insecure population in the nation with nearly 5.4 million – or 1 in 6 – Texans facing food insecurity. At a time when families across the state are already struggling to afford food and healthcare, these deep cuts will only further exacerbate hunger in our state.”

The nonprofits and churches say that the most devastating part of the proposed budget cut is a new state cost-share plan. They say it would require Texas to pay anywhere from 5% to 25% of the food benefits and increase the state’s share of administrative costs from 50% to 75% – or make cuts to the program to account for that amount. 

In FY2024, states issued nearly $94 billion for SNAP food benefits, including $7.2 billion in Texas. 

“If this policy were to go into effect, Feeding Texas estimates that Texas would be responsible for covering around $1.08 billion per year in food benefits. Using FY2023 SNAP administrative costs, Feeding Texas estimates that an increase from 50% to 75% would cost the state an additional $87 million per year. That comes out to an additional $2.3 billion per biennium that the Texas Legislature would have to front in order to keep the program whole,” the letter states.

The nonprofit organizations and churches in the Valley that have signed the letter are:

Agencia Leche y Miel, of Hidalgo County

Amigos Del Valle, Inc., of the Rio Grande Valley

ARISE Adelante, of Hidalgo County

Baskets Full Food Pantry, of Mercedes, TX 

Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center Inc., of Brownsville, TX

Boys and Girls Club of Edinburg, of Edinburg, TX 

Brownsville Farmers Market, of Brownsville, TX

Brownsville Wellness Coalition, of Brownsville, TX

Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, of San Juan, TX

Center Church Pharr, of Pharr, TX

Children’s Bereavement Center RGV, of the Rio Grande Valley

CommUNITY Food Pantry, of Brownsville, TX

De Sela Consulting, LLC, of the Rio Grande Valley

Dentists Who Care, Inc., of Weslaco, TX

El Milagro Clinic, of Hidalgo County

Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, of the Rio Grande Valley

Grace Church, of Edinburg, TX

Harlingen Neighborhood Food Pantry, of Harlingen, TX

Hidalgo County Pct 1, of Hidalgo County

Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo, of Edinburg, TX

La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), of Rio Grande Valley

Loaves & Fishes of the RGV, Inc., of the Rio Grande Valley

Lower Rio Grande Valley AHEC, of the Rio Grande Valley

Lucero Del Norte Community Church, of Mercedes, TX

Ministerio Casa de Adoración Food Pantry, of Los Fresnos, TX 

Mercy Food Pantry, of La Feria, TX 

Ministry for the Poor, of McAllen, TX

Moody Clinic, of Brownsville, TX

Proyecto Azteca, of the Rio Grande Valley

Proyecto Juan Diego, of Brownsville, TX

Raven Ministry, of Edinburg, TX

Red de Promotoras en Cameron County, of Cameron County

Restauración y Poder Brownsville, of Brownsville, TX 

Rio Grande City Public Library, of Rio Grande City, TX

Sacred Heart Food Pantry Inc., of McAllen, TX

San Benito Food Pantry, of San Benito, TX

South Texas Juvenile Diabetes Association, of McAllen, TX

South Texas Physician Alliance, of Harlingen, TX

St. Bonaventure Food Pantry, of Monte Alto, TX

St. John’s Episcopal Church, of McAllen, TX

St. Joseph the Worker-Obras de Caridad, of Edinburg, TX

The Salvation Army of Harlingen, of Harlingen, TX

Unidos Contra La Diabetes, of Weslaco, TX

United Way of South Texas, of Hidalgo & Starr County

UTRGV School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling, of the Rio Grande Valley

Valley AIDS Council, of the Rio Grande Valley 

Omar I. Rodriguez, director of grants and government relations, for the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, said the nonprofits and churches in the Valley that have signed the letter are looking for more organizations to sign the letter.

“Now that the House has passed its harmful version of the Budget Reconciliation Bill, our attention is turning to the Senate. While Senators Cornyn and Cruz will undoubtedly vote in favor of the bill, it is still helpful to lift up our concerns (especially about the state cost-shift) and ask our Senators to work with their colleagues to temper the cuts to SNAP in the Senate version as much as possible,”  Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez points out that Congress is in recess until June 3rd, but notes that the Senate is expected to act the week of June 23. “So, advocacy over the next few weeks is crucial,” Rodriguez said. “To that end, we are reopening the Protect SNAP Organizational Sign-On Letter to collect additional signatures.”

Feeding Texas Letter

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Dear Senators Cornyn and Cruz, 

We are writing as concerned members of the Texas nonprofit, retail, farm, faith-based, and healthcare communities to urge you to reject the $300 Billion in proposed cuts to SNAP in the Budget Reconciliation bill. These cuts will have a devastating impact on Texas seniors, veterans, children, and the Texas economy. 

Texas continues to have the highest food insecure population in the nation with nearly 5.4 million – or 1 in 6 – Texans facing food insecurity. At a time when families across the state are already struggling to afford food and healthcare, these deep cuts will only further exacerbate hunger in our state. 

The most devastating part of this proposal is the state cost-share plan that would require Texas to pay anywhere from 5% to 25% of the food benefits and increase the state’s share of administrative costs from 50% to 75%, or make cuts to the program to account for that amount. In FY2024, states issued nearly $94 billion for SNAP food benefits, including $7.2 billion in Texas. If this policy were to go into effect, Feeding Texas estimates that Texas would be responsible for covering around $1.08 billion per year in food benefits. Using FY2023 SNAP administrative costs, Feeding Texas estimates that an increase from 50% to 75% would cost the state an additional $87 million per year. That comes out to an additional $2.3 billion per biennium that the Texas Legislature would have to front in order to keep the program whole.

Other concerning provisions include: 

• subjecting more seniors (up to age 65) and more parents (for children as young as 7) to the harsh three-month time limit by requiring that they document 20 hours of work per week in order to receive benefits; 
• fully eliminating the SNAP-Ed program, an evidence-based program that provides nutrition education to thousands of Texas families; and
• limiting future adjustments to the Thrifty Food Plan, depressing benefit levels and making it harder for families to afford groceries for years to come.

SNAP is not just an anti-hunger program. It is an economic program designed to stabilize family budgets, food retailers, and the farm economy alike. Retailers and farmers will feel the impact of deep SNAP cuts. In the 2024 calendar year, SNAP payments generated an estimated $10.73 billion in economic activity for Texas — a 54% return on investment. The program was also responsible for supporting more than 94,000 jobs and more than 2 billion meals for Texas families in need in 2024. 

SNAP is a vital safety net that helps families meet basic nutritional needs while they work to get back on their feet. The benefits are modest—6 dollars per person per day on average—but critical to preventing hunger and helping families weather tough economic times. 

Cutting SNAP won’t end hunger – it will only deepen it.

We urge you to vote NO on the upcoming Reconciliation Budget vote that includes harmful SNAP cuts.

Thank you for your attention to this critical matter.

Statewide Organizations

Adult and Teen Challenge of Texas

ARISE Adelante

Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty

Brighter Bites

Children At Risk

Children’s Defense Fund – Texas

Complete Nutrition Solutions LLC

EdTrust in Texas

Enhanced Resident Services & Consultants

Every Body Texas

Every Texan

Faith Commons

Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance

Feeding Texas

Fellowship Southwest

FreshQue

Galilee Missionary Baptist Church

Healthier Texas

Methodist Healthcare Ministries

National Association of Social Workers – Texas Chapter

New Zion Missionary Baptist Church

No Kid Hungry Texas

RAISE Texas

Save Texas Moms

Share Our Strength

Sustainable Food Center

Texans Care for Children

Texas Academy of Family Physicians

Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, & Dance

Texas Association for School Nutrition

Texas Center for Local Food

Texas Financial Planners

Texas Food and Fuel Association

Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Texas Housers

Texas Impact

Texas Inmate Families Association 

Texas Medical Association

Texas Parent to Parent

Texas Pediatric Society

Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility

Texas Public Health Coalition

Texas School Nurses Organization

Texas Society for Public Health Education

TexProtects

The Salvation Army

Then GO Ministries

UnidosUS

United Ways of Texas

Young Invincibles

Local Organizations

A Hopeful Harvest , of Bryan, TX

Agencia Leche y Miel, of Hidalgo County

Amigos Del Valle, Inc., of the Rio Grande Valley

ASYMCA Junior Enlisted Family Center, of El Paso, TX

Baskets Full Food Pantry, of Mercedes, TX 

Bedias Food Pantry, of Bedias, TX

Bells/Savoy Community Care Center, of Bells, TX

Bethlehem Baptist Church, of Big Lake, TX

Big Mamas Safehouse, of San Antonio, TX

Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center Inc., of Brownsville, TX

Bountiful Blessings, of San Antonio, TX

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Brazos Valley, of Brazos Valley

Boys and Girls Club of Edinburg, of Edinburg, TX 

Braes Interfaith Ministries, of Houston, TX

Brazos Valley Food Bank, of Bryan, TX

Breakthrough Central Texas, of Central Texas

Brookhill Baptist Church, of San Antonio, TX

Brother Bill’s Helping Hand, of Dallas, TX

Brownsville Farmers Market, of Brownsville, TX

Brownsville Wellness Coalition, of Brownsville, TX

Caritas of Austin, of Austin, TX

Catholic Charities Dallas, of Dallas, TX

Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, of San Juan, TX

Cedar Hill Shares Food Pantry, of Dallas, TX

Central Texas Food Bank, of Austin, TX

Center Church Pharr, of Pharr, TX

Central Texas Food Bank, of Austin, TX

Chaparral Crossing Farmers’ Market , of Austin, TX

Chapel Hill UMC Emergency Food Pantry, of San Antonio, TX

Children’s Bereavement Center RGV, of the Rio Grande Valley

Christian Benevolent Outreach Food Pantry, of San Antonio, TX

Christian Community Action, of Lewisville, TX

City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, of San Antonio, TX

Clarity Child Guidance Center, of San Antonio, TX

Coastal Bend Food Bank, of Corpus Christi, TX

Common Threads, of Austin, TX

Community Baptist Church, of El Paso, TX

CommUNITY Food Pantry, of Brownsville, TX

Community Food Pantry, of Honey Grove, TX

Community Resource Center of Robertson County, of Robertson County

Crossroads Church, of San Antonio, TX

Crossroads Community Service, of Dallas, TX

Crisis Ministries, of Irving, TX

Cupboard by Grace, of Vernon, TX

Dallas Coalition for Hunger Solutions, of Dallas, TX

Dayton First Baptist Church, of Dayton, TX

De Sela Consulting, LLC, of the Rio Grande Valley

Dentists Who Care, Inc., of Weslaco, TX

Doyle Community Center, of Kerrville, TX

East Texas Food Bank, of Tyler, TX

El Milagro Clinic, of Hidalgo County

El Paso Villa Maria, of El Paso, TX

El Pasoans Fighting Hunger , of El Paso, TX

ELCA Campus Ministry to the Brazos Valley, of Brazos Valley

Fannin County Community Ministries, Inc. , of Bonham, TX

Feed My Sheep, of Howe, TX

Feeding Fannin, of Fannin County

First Baptist Brady Food Pantry, of Brady, TX 

First Baptist Church Jourdanton Food Pantry, of Jourdanton, TX

First Baptist Church Shepherd, of Shepherd, TX

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Bryan/College Station, of Bryan, TX

First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, of Dallas, TX

First United Methodist Church of Bells, TX

Food Bank of the Golden Crescent, of Victoria, TX

Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, of the Rio Grande Valley

Food Bank of West Central Texas, of Abilene, TX

For Oak Cliff, of Dallas, TX

Friends Congregational Church, UCC, of College Station, TX

Frost Community Center and Food Bank, of Frost, TX

Galveston County Food Bank, of Texas City, TX

Galveston’s Own Farmer Market , of Galveston, TX

Garden of Eatin, of San Antonio, TX

Gateway Church, of Grand Prairie, TX

Graham Community Food Pantry, of Graham, TX

God Chasers, of Tomball, TX

God Chasers Church, of San Antonio, TX

Good Samaritans of Garland, of Garland, TX

Good Work Austin, of Austin, TX

Grace Church, of Edinburg, TX

Grace Ministries, of Burkburnett, TX

Grand Central Station, of Sherman, TX

Greater New Grove Baptist Church, of Houston, TX

Growing with Sara Farm, of Socorro, TX

Harlingen Neighborhood Food Pantry, of Harlingen, TX

Heights Interfaith Ministries, of Houston, TX

Hidalgo County Pct 1, of Hidalgo County

High Plains Food Bank, of Amarillo, TX

House Of Prayer International Ministries, of Allen, TX

House of Neighborly Service, of San Antonio, TX

Houston Food Bank, of Houston, TX

Idalou Harvest Company LLC, of Idalou, TX

Iglesia Cristiana Visión Divina, of Channelview, TX

Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo, of Edinburg, TX

Iglesia Trinidad, of Houston, TX

India House, of Houston, TX

Impacto Comunitario, of San Antonio, TX

Irving Cares, of Irving, TX

Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas, of Dallas, TX

Kashmere Gardens Church of Christ Pantry, of Houston, TX

Katie’s Food Pantry, of El Paso, TX

Keep Austin Fed, of Austin, TX

Kelly Center for Hunger Relief, of El Paso, TX

La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), of Rio Grande Valley

Lake Area Shared Ministries, of Quinlan, TX

Lian Dante Foundation, of Houston, TX

Link Health, of Houston, TX

Loaves & Fishes of the RGV, Inc., of the Rio Grande Valley

LOVE Kendall County Kids, of Kendall County

Lower Rio Grande Valley AHEC, of the Rio Grande Valley

Lucero Del Norte Community Church , of Mercedes, TX

Mason County Food Pantry, of Mason, TX

McKenzie United Methodist Church, of Honey Grove, TX

Ministerio Casa de Adoración Food Pantry, of Los Fresnos, TX 

Mercy Food Pantry, of La Feria, TX 

Metrocrest Services, of Carrollton, TX

Miles of Freedom, of Dallas, TX

Ministry for the Poor, of McAllen, TX

Moody Clinic, of Brownsville, TX

Monster Moms, of San Antonio, TX

Montgomery County Food Bank, of Conroe, TX

Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church/St. Thomas Food Pantry, of Angleton, TX

Nacogdoches HOPE Food Pantry, of Nacogdoches, TX

New Braunfels Food Bank, of New Braunfels, TX

New Hope Bible Church, of San Angelo, TX

New Light Church World Outreach & Worship Centers, Inc., of Houston, TX

New Spirit Counseling Program at Inner Wisdom, of Houston, TX

New Zion Manna Ministry, of Bryan, TX

North Park Presbyterian Church, of Dallas, TX
North Texas Food Bank, of Dallas, TX

Northern Hills United Methodist Church, of San Antonio, TX

Nourish’d Seeds LLC, of San Antonio, TX

Onesource/Redeemer House, of San Antonio, TX

Our Daily Bread Royse City, of Royse City, TX

Pine Forest Food Pantry, of Pine Forest, TX

Portfolio Resident Services, of San Antonio, TX 

Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, of Hearne, TX

Proyecto Azteca, of the Rio Grande Valley

Proyecto Juan Diego, of Brownsville, TX

Rains County Good Samaritans, of Emory, TX

Raven Ministry, of Edinburg, TX

RCCG, Green Pastures Sanctuary, of El Paso, TX

RCCG Mount Zion Church, of Missouri City, TX

Recovery Alliance of El Paso, of El Paso, TX

Red de Promotoras en Cameron County, of Cameron County

Redwood Community Center dba Centro Esperanza, of San Antonio, TX

Restauración y Poder Brownsville, of Brownsville, TX 

Resurrection Baptist Church, of Lytle, TX

Restoring Hope at Trinity Klein Lutheran Church, of Houston, TX

Rio Grande City Public Library, of Rio Grande City, TX

Rivers of Hope Ministries, of San Antonio, TX

Robertson County Care Inc., of Franklin, TX

Sacred Heart Food Pantry Inc., of McAllen, TX

San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Awareness, of Bexar County

San Antonio Food Bank, of San Antonio, TX

San Antonio for Christ, of San Antonio, TX

San Antonio Time Dollar Community Connections, of San Antonio, TX

San Benito Food Pantry, of San Benito, TX

Sherwood Shores Baptist Church Food Pantry, of Grayson County

Silver Sage Community Center / Hill Country Resource Center, of Bandera, TX

Society of Champion Outreach, of Houston, TX

South Plains Food Bank, of Lubbock, TX

Southeast Texas Food Bank, of Beaumont, TX

South Texas Food Bank, of Laredo, TX

South Texas Juvenile Diabetes Association, of McAllen, TX

South Texas Physician Alliance, of Harlingen, TX

Spiritual Combatants Inc., of San Antonio, TX

St. Bonaventure Food Pantry, of Monte Alto, TX

St. Francis of Assisi Mobile Loaves & Fishes, of San Antonio, TX

St. John’s Episcopal Church, of McAllen, TX

St. Joseph the Worker-Obras de Caridad, of Edinburg, TX

St. Leo the Great, of Houston, TX

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, of Richardson, TX

St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Community (Magdalene House), of Houston, TX

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, of Hearne, Texas

St. Philip’s School and Community Center, of Dallas, TX

St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, of McKinney, TX

St. Vincent de Paul Society, of San Antonio, TX

Sterling County Senior Citizen Center, of Sterling County

Steve’s Pantry, of New Braunfels, TX

Tarrant Area Food Bank, of Fort Worth, TX

The Foundation for Black Heritage and Culture, of Houston, TX

The Salvation Army of Harlingen, of Harlingen, TX

The Storehouse Community Center, of Dallas County

T.O.P. Ministries, of San Antonio, TX

Trinity East UMC Pantry, of Houston, TX

Unidos Contra La Diabetes, of Weslaco, TX

United Way of Denton County, of Denton County

United Way of Grayson County, of Grayson County

United Way of the Crossroads, of Victoria, TX

United Way for Greater Austin, of Central Texas

United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, of Dallas, TX

United Way of South Texas, of Hidalgo & Starr County

Unity of Houston Church, of Houston, TX

UTRGV School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling, of the Rio Grande Valley

Valley AIDS Council, of the Rio Grande Valley 

Wellblessings OverFlow, of Fort Hancock, TX

West Avenue Compassion, of Bexar County

West Texas Food Bank, of Odessa, TX

Westlawn United Methodist Church, of San Antonio, TX

White Rock Center of Hope, of Dallas, TX

Wichita Falls Area Food Bank, of Wichita Falls, TX

Winnsboro Community Resource Center, of Winnsboro, TX

Wolfe City Food Pantry , of Wolfe City, TX

You Belong Food Pantry, of Houston, TX

YWCA San Antonio, of San Antonio, TX

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