Congresswoman Brown: SNAP Cuts Are Reverse Robin Hood Scheme

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11), Vice Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee voiced strong opposition to the Republican Reconciliation Bill on Tuesday evening, during the Agriculture Committee’s markup of heir portion of the bill. During her opening remarks, Brown stated, “Let’s call this what it is: it is a reverse Robin Hood. Taking food away from those who need it most -- not because we have to, but because my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would rather give tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy.” 

 

According to analysis by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the legislation would cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by approximately $300 billion. Implementing cuts of this magnitude are not possible without significantly reducing the number of people who receive benefits.  

 

According to the USDA, 21% of households in OH-11 rely on SNAP benefits, including 31% of Black households. For official statistics on SNAP in OH-11 from the USDA, click here. To explore other congressional district data, click here.  

 

VIDEO HERE 

 

 

Congresswoman Brown’s Remarks as Delivered: 

 

 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  

 

There are a few things I can count on from you, and one of them is a prayer to open this meeting.  

 

As a Bible-believing Christian myself. I feel led to remind this praying body of a few scriptures. Isiah 58:7, it reads “Share your food with the hungry and help those in trouble.”  

 

Another is Proverbs 22:9, “He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.” 

 

And the ever-popular, Matthew 25:35, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.” 

 

Now, based on this legislation, it seems you may have forgotten these verses, or perhaps they are unfamiliar to you.  

 

Because this legislation is more than just a debate over line items, it’s a statement about our values.  

 

Now don’t get me wrong. I appreciate prayers just as much as the next believer.  

 

But I also know, the Book of James tells us that faith without works is dead.  

 

So let’s get to work. Let’s do our jobs.  

 

Because the Bible is not just a book of recommendations, it is an instruction manual on how we should live our lives.  

 

See, you have the ability to make a difference.  

 

But the message coming from my Republican colleagues is not only deeply disturbing, it is un-American, unrealistic, unreasonable, and ungodly.  

 

See, at a time when 47 million people in this country are food insecure, they have decided it’s more important to line the pockets of billionaires than feed hungry kids, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and working families. 

  

Let’s call this what it is: it is a reverse Robin Hood.  

 

Taking food away from those who need it most -- not because we have to, but because my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would rather give tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy. 

 

If enacted, this would mark the largest food cut assistance in history. The worst part? It doesn’t have to be this way.  

 

See, the plan that cuts food assistance for millions – will give millionaires tax breaks.  

 

The same plan that cuts hundreds of billions from SNAP will give $1 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthiest 1%.  

 

The same plan that targets the $6 average daily benefit SNAP provides, delivers a $300,000 annual tax cut to people making nearly $4 million each year.  

  

That’s not fiscal responsibility. It is cruelty. 

 

In Ohio alone, this scheme would cost state taxpayers roughly $534 million dollars annually —four times more than what we pay now. And that’s not to expand benefits or improve outcomes. That’s just to maintain the status quo. 

 

To cover that cost, Ohio – along with every other state—is going to have to make brutal trade-offs. It’s going to mean cutting K–12 education funding, scaling back opioid and mental health treatment programs, reducing Medicaid coverage, or putting off critical infrastructure repairs. It’s going to mean fewer teachers in classrooms, fewer public health nurses in clinics, and fewer resources for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and children. 

  

And let’s be clear: SNAP doesn’t just support low-income urban communities like the ones I represent. It’s a lifeline for rural communities too. It helps families in small towns keep food on the table. It supports local and independent grocers. And it helps farmers by ensuring a stable demand for the food they grow.  

 

These cuts will devastate rural communities – from Southeast Ohio and Western Wisconsin to Northern Pennsylvania. And, no, the crumbs included from the Farm Bill programs won’t make up for it. That’s just a bait and switch. 

  

Make no mistake – this bill will undermine rural economies. And it will undermine the agricultural communities already walking a financial tightrope, that this Committee is meant to support. 

  

We were sent here to serve the people. Another verse: in Mark 10:45, which tells us the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life for many.   

 

I believe that high calling is for us to serve.  

 

If we are to be called ourselves Christians, which is to be like Christ, then we should serve all the people, not just the wealthy, and the well-off, and the well-connected.  

 

If this Congress has the money to fund tax breaks for those who have yachts and private jets, then it can afford to feed the 14 million hungry children in this country.  

 

I urge my colleagues to think long and hard about this vote. Perhaps you should pray about it. You fate, your future, and people’s lives depend on it.  

 

 

 

Background: Vice Ranking Member Brown is the author of the Hunger Free Future Act, legislation that blocks benefit cuts to SNAP. In March, Brown participated in the SNAP Challenge, purchasing a week’s worth of groceries on a SNAP budget of $42, reflecting the average daily benefit of $6. Earlier this month, Brown authored an op-ed for FoxNews.com on how President Trump’s tariffs and DOGE cuts will hurt families and farmers.