"The poor of our day are the forgotten and the marginalized: robbed not only of bread, but also of a voice and a face. May they encounter the Son of God, who draws near to everyone without neglecting anyone. May they encounter him, first and foremost, in those who call themselves Christians." - Pope Leo XIV 

The theme of this year's World Day of the Poor Message by Pope Leo  XIV is “The Lord is the Refuge of the Poor.” With this message Pope Leo reminds us that we must be present to those who are "forgotten and marginalized" and to advocate with them in their social struggles. Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens serves this community and one of the services we offer through our Community Outreach Center is by helping them navigate the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP. 

Last year, the Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1) shifted the cost of this benefit to the states and according to the Congressional Budget Office, these changes to the SNAP program will affect millions of people, including families with children, older adults, people with disabilities, homeless individuals, and veterans who are finding it increasingly difficult to put food on the table. Additionally, these changes are having harmful economic impacts on farmers, food retailers, local communities, and the national economy. 

On August 6, 2026, the Farm Bill proposed by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) failed to advance out of committee by a party-line vote. The bill did not make meaningful investments in the SNAP program or adequately address the harm caused by the administrative and benefit cost shifts to states enacted last year through the budget reconciliation law, H.R. 1.  

While the Senate and House are in the August recess, we join Catholic Charities USA in advocating using this period to communicate the impacts of the harmful SNAP cuts in H.R. 1, including the administrative and program cost shifts to states, and ask the Senate to address these issues in future Farm Bill discussions, supplemental appropriations' legislation, or end-of-year spending packages.