For Immediate Release:
November 9, 2026
Contact:
Jaclyn Driscoll
jaclyn@sgstrategies.com | (217) 371-7373
The Election is Over, and Action to Protect SNAP is Urgent
ILLINOIS – Following the conclusion of the midterm elections, the Save Our SNAP Coalition issued this statement reminding Illinois federal and state lawmakers that hunger is a policy choice:
“Another election has come and gone, and while there’s finality in those results, there’s still so much uncertainty about the millions of Illinoisans who rely on our state’s safety net programs to meet their basic needs. And, for the 1.4 million supported by SNAP and the 3 million on Medicaid, that uncertainty has consequences.
Even before the next Congress takes office, the current Congress must act to delay the pending SNAP cost shift in the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Shifting the cost of benefits from the federal government to states, for the first time ever, threatens the future of SNAP by pressuring state budgets around the country. Many states will confront this challenge in a matter of months. When the next Congress is inaugurated, they must act boldly and swiftly to reverse all of the SNAP and Medicaid cuts. There will be no excuse for inaction.”
“What we’re seeing in our communities is something we haven’t before. More and more people are losing access to vital food assistance every month, and looming Medicaid changes are going to strip people of health insurance and accelerate hunger in every corner of the state.
“Illinois cannot afford to wait for federal action. We have an opportunity, and responsibility, to step up and protect its people, and build on our leadership with the FRESH program. The State can expand access to an existing program, VTTC Food, to ensure 16,000 lawfully present, humanitarian immigrants losing SNAP have access to food support at no additional cost to taxpayers. The State can also stand firm on protecting access to Medicaid and making sure everyone has the care they need. And our state leaders must prepare Illinois for the unprecedented SNAP cost shift. In the absence of immediate federal action, we cannot stand to lose this lifeline food assistance program in 2028.”
“Our responsibility to one another doesn’t change with an election. We must continue to lift our voices to defend SNAP and Medicaid at the federal and the state levels.”
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The Save Our Snap Coalition is a statewide alliance of 100+ organizations united to protect and strengthen the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Illinois. The unprecedented attacks to SNAP by the federal government will lead to catastrophic levels of hunger in our communities. Our collective action can help mitigate harm and build a brighter future where all Illinois neighbors have the food they need to thrive.