Washington D.C — Since the passage of the Republican Tax Law last year, which implemented steep cuts to SNAP to give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations, over 5 million people have lost access to food assistance that helps them put food on the table. A recent article from USA Today highlights the stories of multiple people who have lost access to SNAP due to these cuts and highlights the burden it is having on their families.
The story features Angelica Garcia, a Tucson, Arizona resident and mother who details how she was unable to access SNAP benefits for more than two months – all because of the federal government’s cuts included in the Republican Tax Law. Angelica was forced to call the Arizona Department of Economic Security more than 20 times just to get in touch with a caseworker, and even then she had to go in person and wait for hours and hours to get someone to help her access the food assistance she qualifies for.
Angelica and her 14-year-old daughter were forced to rely on the kindness of relatives and local food banks to make ends meet as they waited for more than two months to get the support they needed. Sadly, Angelica’s story isn’t unique. Half of all eligible recipients – approximately 421,000 Arizonans – have lost access to SNAP since the Republican Tax Law was enacted. “It’s so frustrating because there’s thousands and thousands of people trying to call in,” Garcia said. “It’s appalling that it’s such a wall that’s been put up.”
“Angelica’s story shows how these cuts to SNAP from the Republican Tax Law are not just imposing a financial burden on working families, but an emotional one as well,” said Unrig Our Economy Campaign Director Leor Tal. “No family should be forced to constantly question when their next meal will be because of policies in Washington. However, that is the reality that the Republican Tax Law has created for millions of people like Angelica.”
USA Today: States scramble to fill gap as millions lose food aid amid new SNAP requirements.
Key Points:
- Angelica Garcia worried whether something was wrong after she applied this year for food stamps and did not get a response for more than two months.
- She repeatedly visited the local Department of Economic Security office in Tucson, Arizona, waiting hours before she could speak to a case worker. When she could schedule a phone interview, there was no way to reach someone directly, be placed on hold or leave a message, she said.
- Garcia, 45, called up to 20 times before reaching someone. As Garcia waited, she and her 14-year-old daughter cut spending and relied on relatives and food banks.
- “You just have to keep calling. And it’s so frustrating because there’s thousands and thousands of people trying to call in,” Garcia said. “It’s appalling that it’s such a wall that’s been put up.”
- Her ordeal came as Arizona and other states rushed to address Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program changes approved by Congress and President Donald Trump as part of the GOP tax and spending bill in 2025.
- Garcia is among many SNAP recipients who have faced delays and uncertainty as states adjust to the changes.
- Meanwhile, SNAP enrollment has fallen by more than 5 million people since Trump signed the legislation in July of last year, including seniors and families with children, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- In Arizona, participation has dropped by more than half since then with about 421,000 people receiving assistance in June, according to an analysis by the anti-hunger nonprofit Food Research and Action Center.
- Department [of Economic Security] spokesman Brett Bezio blamed Arizona’s food stamp processing delays on the GOP tax and spending bill, saying his state had to act quickly to avoid $300 million in penalties.
- During the more than two months it took to get her food stamps approved, Garcia found a full-time night job in hospitality. The income means she and her daughter qualify for just $104 a month in SNAP benefits.
- The assistance helps, Garcia said, but doesn’t go far as food costs continue to rise. As she waited for that assistance, she added, it broke her heart watching her 14-year-old daughter keep track of their budget.
- “Kids shouldn’t have to worry about how much the meal is going to cost. It’s hard to see her being so concerned about the cost of food,” Garcia said.
- Unlike the federal government, most states must balance their budgets annually. To absorb the new costs, governors and lawmakers might have to raise taxes, cut spending on other programs or reduce SNAP participation.
- No state has said it will leave SNAP, but the Congressional Budget Office warned some could do so because of the new financial burden. Alabama and Arizona officials have warned the penalty could mean dropping out.
To learn more about the campaign, visit UnrigOurEconomy.com or contact press@unrigoureconomy.com
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About Unrig Our Economy
Unrig Our Economy is a national campaign to fix the rules of our economy to make it work for working people. We know that when the middle class does well, all of us do well — which is why we’re fighting on behalf of working Americans and holding corporations, their wealthy executives, and the politicians who enable them accountable.