Scranton Mayor Spearheads National Effort
to Protect SNAP Benefits
112 U.S. Mayors Sign Paige Cognetti’s Bipartisan Letter to Congress, Urging Members to Save Nutrition Programs that Feed Millions
PRESS RELEASE: MARCH 7, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a national effort spearheaded by Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, 112 mayors from across the country signed a letter last week urging Congress to protect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The letter comes as Congress is considering massive cuts to federal food and nutrition programs as part of its budget process.
The mayors, members of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, span the political spectrum: Republican, Democratic, Nonpartisan and Independent. And yet all came together to agree that no child in America should go hungry.
“We are literally talking about taking food out of kids’ and older adults’ mouths to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest,” said Mayor Cognetti, who serves as Vice-Chair of the Mayors Alliance. “Seniors on fixed incomes and families living paycheck to paycheck are among those who would be most impacted by federal cuts to these vital programs. The federal budget should not be balanced by eliminating programs that keep our kids and seniors from starving.”
More than 40,500 people in Lackawanna County currently receive SNAP benefits and yet food insecurity remains pervasive in the region. In 2023, Mayor Cognetti organized Scranton’s Hunger Task Force, made up of community leaders across sectors, to address gaps in service deliveries and eliminate disparities. Scranton’s Hunger Task Force members include the Friends of the Poor, Maternal Family Health Services, the Scranton Area Foundation and the United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike Counties.
The proposed federal budget cuts are substantial, with plans to reduce over $230 billion from SNAP by 2034. Additionally, Medicaid faces a potential reduction of $880 billion, which could result in nine million low-income Americans losing access to SNAP benefits and 36 million losing healthcare coverage. These cuts could have devastating effects on vulnerable populations, particularly during times of high inflation and rising food prices.
The Mayors’ letter to Congress states:
“We express our concern for the growing number of children in our country facing food insecurity and hunger if these cuts are enacted. There are increasing pressures on the cost and availability of food, including viral illnesses in animals raised for consumption, a diminished number of agricultural workers, and continuing global conflict. Our cities are on the frontline of responding to challenges in our communities, and as mayors, we need every option available to fight childhood hunger.”
In addition to SNAP, the letter references WIC and school meals as priorities for Congressional members to consider as they continue negotiations, making note of the vast number of Americans the programs impact:
SNAP is one of our nation’s most powerful tools to end hunger. It helps 41-plus million Americans, including one in five children.
About 6.6 million people participate in WIC monthly, including four out of 10 infants in the United States.
About 29.6 million students eat lunch at school, and 72 percent of those lunches are for students whose families qualify for free and/or reduced-price meals.
The full text of the letter can be found here.