AFSCME Council 18 members, community members, and New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján raised alarms about the impact that cutting federal food assistance would have on the communities they serve.
Those concerns focused on how dangerous cuts to the federal budget could affect SNAP, New Mexico families and AFSCME members in that state. Those who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and state health care leaders also participated in Wednesday’s roundtable.
The event comes as the House of Representatives voted to pass an extreme budget that will shift much of the cost of providing SNAP benefits onto states. The budget will also make disastrous cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and more — all so billionaires rake in huge tax breaks. The budget bill is now with the U.S. Senate.
Luján stressed the far-reaching impact of these cuts.
“If this budget passes and these cuts to SNAP, Medicaid and other programs go through, it impacts all of us,” he said. “Even if we’re not direct beneficiaries of those programs, it will affect all of us one way or another.”
Nationally, 41 million Americans were fed by SNAP in 2024. One in five kids receives meals through SNAP.
Victoria Leonard, a family assistant analyst and member of AFSCME Local 2777, said that rollbacks to SNAP would be catastrophic.
“You’re talking about children who will go hungry, the elderly who will go hungry, families who won’t be able to put enough food on the table for themselves.”
Another AFSCME member, Kevin Touchton, also a family assistant analyst, described the dangerous ripple effect that cuts to SNAP would have.
“I work with a lot of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren by themselves and who rely on these benefits,” he said. “And if they lose these benefits for their grandchildren, it can negatively impact any other benefits they rely on. These programs are really essential.”
Connie Derr, executive director of Council 18, described the powerful relationship that forms between AFSCME members and the clients they serve.
“The situation around the federal budget has been very difficult on the workers who provide these essential services,” she said. “Our members work with their clients very closely and know every circumstance that’s led to them seeking assistance, so they know exactly how they are going to impact New Mexico’s most vulnerable families.”
To make your voice heard, contact your members of Congress and tell them to oppose cuts to vital programs like SNAP to pay for tax breaks for billionaires.
To learn more and stay involved, join AFSCME GO at afscmego.org.