NEWARK, N.J. – This afternoon, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) hosted a virtual town hall with New Jersey’s five largest food banks to discuss the fallout for working families in New Jersey if President Trump chooses to stop SNAP payments and Republicans do not come to the table to end the government shutdown.

The virtual meeting follows Senator Booker’s letter yesterday to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins demanding the agency release the billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue through November.

“Nearly one million New Jerseyans rely on SNAP and WIC benefits every single day,” said Senator Booker. “Across the country, 42 million Americans rely on these benefits, but President Trump and Congressional Republicans––including three in our own state––don’t care that their political stunts will leave people straining to afford food. I heard directly from New Jersey’s food bank leaders who are seeing a surge of people desperate for help getting food. These leaders made it clear to me that their food banks would be completely overwhelmed and unable to meet the need if SNAP is interrupted. Trump’s refusal to fund these essential benefits––despite having access to billions in funding he could use immediately––is a deliberate choice to harm our neighbors. I’m deeply appreciative to organizations like Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Food Bank of South Jersey, Fulfill, Norwescap, and Mercer Street Friends for joining me today and for their relentless work on behalf of all New Jerseyans. Trump must immediately commit to releasing the funds at his disposal to continue SNAP, and Republicans must negotiate with Democrats to reopen the government and lower health care costs.”

“Thank you to Senator Booker and our fellow New Jersey food banks for convening this important discussion,” said Fred Wasiak, President & CEO of the Food Bank of South Jersey. "Right now, the Food Bank is serving more than 200,000 people each month – more than twice the pandemic – and the need will only continue to grow. SNAP is the cornerstone of our nation’s fight against hunger and, without it, the burden on families and food banks would be overwhelming.”

“In New Jersey, we've already seen food insecurity increase by 65% since the height of the pandemic in 2020. That's nearly 1.1 million children, seniors, families, and veterans who don't know where their next meal is coming from,” said Elizabeth McCarthy, President & CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. "If our neighbors lose access to SNAP in November, that need could worsen even more dramatically. One thing we should all agree on, even in these polarizing times, is that no one should go hungry. Food is not a privilege — it’s a basic human need.”

“The cessation of SNAP benefits goes well beyond the devastating impact it will have on food security in the communities we serve, it will have ripple effects on organizations like Norwescap that could literally cause systemic failure in the nonprofit sector because people who can’t afford to feed themselves or their families are going to turn to nonprofit organizations for help with housing, childcare, utilities, transportation, healthcare, etc., all of which are already operating under unsustainable levels. SNAP is more than food, it is a foundational element of the American safety net, so a break in SNAP benefits will lead to a deluge of seemingly unrelated problems for our communities,” said Mark Valli, CEO of Norwescap.

“A shutdown may be temporary on paper, but its effects are immediate and real — families missing meals, seniors choosing between food and medicine. There is a human cost of inaction, and at Fulfill, we see it. We will continue to stand with our neighbors and together, do everything we can to make sure everyone has the food they need to thrive. SNAP was created generations ago as a bipartisan commitment to all Americans that in this land of plenty, no one need go hungry. Ending hunger is a call to our shared humanity, and we urge our legislators to act with urgency to protect vital food assistance for our neighbors,” said Triada Stampas, President & CEO of Fulfill NJ.