Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0543

HR0543 LRB104 16116 MST 29437 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) served an average of 41 million Americans per month, more than 12 percent of the U.S. population, in 2024; and

WHEREAS, In the State of Illinois, almost 1.9 million people in over one million households rely on SNAP in order to access adequate nutrition; and

WHEREAS, Of the households receiving SNAP benefits, 45 percent include at least one child, 37 percent include an elderly adult, and 44 percent include a person with a disability; and

WHEREAS, A total of 44,217 Illinois veterans depend on SNAP benefits to access adequate nutrition; and

WHEREAS, Administration of SNAP benefits supports 18,254 Illinois jobs and $966 million in Illinois wages; and

WHEREAS, SNAP benefits have a $7.2 billion annual impact on Illinois' gross domestic product (GDP); and

WHEREAS, Assistance via the SNAP program alleviates poverty, particularly among children, who experience poverty in the United States at higher rates than the population at large, and has been shown to improve overall food budgeting; and

WHEREAS, People affected by food insecurity are at heightened risk of chronic dietary illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension; and

WHEREAS, Food insecurity is particularly harmful to children, whose physical and mental health, educational achievement, and future prospects can be permanently stunted by lack of access to sufficient nutrition; and

WHEREAS, President Donald Trump's third federal government shutdown began on October 1, 2025 and has now exceeded 28 days in length; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, has announced that if the shutdown is not ended by November 1, 2025, then SNAP benefits will cease to be paid to beneficiaries; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Agriculture has $6 billion in reserve specifically earmarked for SNAP funding in the event of it being needed; and

WHEREAS, Six billion dollars is enough to cover the average SNAP benefits of more than 31 million Americans; and

WHEREAS, The Trump Administration has refused to draw on this reserve to feed Americans, many of whom are at risk of malnutrition if their benefits stop; and

WHEREAS, The Trump Administration's refusal is based on the falsehood that the reserve is not legally available for normal SNAP operations, a categorical lie disproven by a plain reading of the appropriation; and

WHEREAS, The monthly cost to replace SNAP payments in Illinois would be in excess of $350 million per month, more than any state can possibly absorb; and

WHEREAS, It is unconscionable for the Trump Administration, or any administration, to use hunger as a cudgel and a political lever; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we call upon the Trump Administration to end this government shutdown and restore funding to SNAP and other critical federal government programs rather than continuing to put partisan politics before their obligation to the American people; and be it further

RESOLVED, That if an expedient end to the shutdown cannot or will not be achieved, then we urge the Trump Administration to release the reserve funds held by the United States Department of Agriculture specifically for just this eventuality, thereby enabling SNAP beneficiaries to retain access to adequate nutrition while negotiations continue; and be it further

RESOLVED, That using hunger as a weapon to obtain a desired political outcome is reprehensible, and we unequivocally condemn the Trump Administration's actions in this regard; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Mike Johnson, United States Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, and each member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.