By Sue Bryant and Sharon Lake, Iowa City
Recently, we attended a community forum at the Coralville Public Library that highlighted how Trump’s Big Ugly Bill will hurt Iowans. Republicans, including Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, voted for a $187 billion reduction in federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Over the next 10 years, this cut will take away food from tens of thousands of Iowans, including children, seniors, veterans, and disabled individuals.
Representatives from our local food pantry and food rescue network reported that nearly 34,000 households in Iowa’s First Congressional District are facing an average cut of $1,200 a year in food assistance. Has Representative Miller-Meeks visited food pantries or held a public town hall so she can hear about the increased burden our communities will face as a result of these SNAP cuts? No.
The $1 billion reduction in SNAP funding for Iowa will hit us hard. With the rising cost of groceries due to the tariffs Representative Miller-Meeks voted for and stagnant wages, Johnson County food pantries had to purchase 446,000 more pounds of food in fiscal year 2025 than they did the year before — a 56 percent increase. This situation is the same in all 20 counties in the First Congressional District.
Cuts to SNAP funding will also directly impact our communities, as every $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.50 to the local economy. Our families and our communities can’t survive this. Eighty-nine percent of First Congressional District constituents oppose cutting federal funding for SNAP. Why? Because most people have either used SNAP benefits at some point in their lives, or know someone who has. Iowans know the importance of this social safety net. Food pantries in Iowa have struggled to meet rising demands in recent years and these struggles will only increase thanks to the SNAP cuts in the Republican bill. Community members are stepping up to help our neighbors by increasing our donations of vital goods to our local food pantries, but this won’t be enough to fill the tremendous gap created by cruel policies.
It’s time for our member of Congress to step up. A good place to start would be for Representative Miller-Meeks to vote to restore funding to feed vulnerable Iowa families and kids in future spending and budget bills.
