Rep. Mejia Leads 17 Colleagues in Letter to USDA Demanding Answers on Cuts to Nutrition Programs for Seniors

Lawmakers demand accountability for Trump administration's SNAP restrictions and proposed elimination of critical food assistance for nearly 700,000 low-income seniors

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Analilia Mejia (NJ-11) led a coalition of 17 representatives in a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins demanding answers regarding the Trump administration's cuts to federal nutrition assistance programs and their impact on older Americans struggling with rising food, housing, and health care costs.

President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” slashes federal food assistance by $187 billion through 2034, while imposing new work requirements that put SNAP benefits at risk for older adults. At the same time, the Trump administration has proposed eliminating the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), which helps nearly 700,000 low-income seniors put food on the table. Together, these policies will make it harder for older Americans to afford groceries as the cost of living continues to rise.

“Older Americans who spent their lives working and contributing to their communities should not have to sacrifice their health, housing, or other basic needs just to put food on the table. Your Department must account for the consequences of these policies and demonstrate how it will protect older Americans from hunger. Anything less is unacceptable,” said the lawmakers.

The letter demands comprehensive data on seniors who have lost or experienced reductions in SNAP benefits, the impact of expanded work requirements, and USDA's plans to protect access to affordable, nutritious food. Lawmakers also seek answers regarding the administration's proposal to eliminate CSFP despite Congress maintaining its funding.

The letter requests a written response from Secretary Rollins by November 6, 2026. 

Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Cleo Fields (LA-06), André Carson (IN-07), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), and Andrea Salinas (OR-06) also signed the letter.

Read the full letter here.

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