Nearly half of all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in Arizona have lost their food assistance since July, according to a recent announcement from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The committee said more than 400,000 Arizonans, including about 180,000 children, are no longer receiving SNAP benefits.
The statement attributes this decline to votes cast by Representatives Eli Crane and Juan Ciscomani. According to the committee, “More than 400,000 Arizonans – nearly half of all SNAP program participants in the state – are going hungry after Eli Crane and Juan Ciscomani cast decisive votes to rip food off of families’ tables to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.”
DCCC spokesperson Lindsay Reilly said, “Juan Ciscomani and Eli Crane don’t care about hardworking Arizona families. Arizonans are feeling the pain of Crane and Ciscomani’s callous decisions every day. Voters will hold them both accountable at the ballot box.”
A report from ProPublica cited by the committee states that Arizona has experienced the largest decline in SNAP participation nationwide as an underfunded state agency implemented changes required by federal legislation known as President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The drop represents nearly 47% of program participants in Arizona.
Joseph Palomino, executive director of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress, said, “Arizona is just the alarm bell. This is likely going to happen in every state.” Some residents seeking SNAP assistance told ProPublica that their applications remain pending for months.
Charisma Garcia, a mother of two who lost her job in January and now lives with her grandparents while seeking work as a cook, described ongoing difficulties accessing food assistance: “I need to do the thing that gets me the food… I’m in a pinch,” she said. “I’m struggling.” More information can be found on the official roster page.
