Governor Josh Shapiro is warning that proposed federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would have devastating consequences for Pennsylvania families, farmers, and the grocery industry.
Standing alongside Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, Karns Quality Foods CEO Scott Karns, Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association Communications Director John Zimmerman, and local farmers, Shapiro’s administration underscored how the program fuels both household nutrition and the state’s agricultural economy.
SNAP helps nearly two million Pennsylvanians—including children, seniors, and people with disabilities—afford groceries each month. In December 2024 alone, SNAP provided more than $366 million in federally funded food assistance. In just four central counties—Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, and York—SNAP households spent over $27 million that month, supporting local grocers and farms.
Governor Shapiro emphasized that Pennsylvania does not have the resources to replace the billions in lost funding if Congress passes the current version of H.R. 1. “Radical reductions in SNAP would hurt not only the two million people who receive benefits and may be temporarily struggling, but also the Pennsylvania farm families and the 12,000 grocery industry jobs across the state supported by SNAP spending,” Redding said.
Karns highlighted the immediate impact on his grocery stores. “When SNAP benefits are cut, families buy less,” he said. “Not only does this mean fewer nutrients for Pennsylvania families, but it directly slows our local economy.”
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association noted that past reductions, including the 2023 end of Emergency Allotments, cost more than a million households about $181 a month, nearly $190 million lost from the state’s food economy monthly.
Shapiro has proposed increasing state funding for food assistance, including \$4 million each to expand the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System and the State Food Purchase Program, bringing their combined total to $34.7 million. He has also filed suit to challenge the loss of \$13 million in federal funding for the Local Food Purchase Assistance program.
Source: www.pa.gov