Oregon Food Banks Worry More Challenges Lie Ahead

The Oregon Food Bank says some changes in the “Big Beautiful Bill” have already forced some warehouses to close, partly because of rising costs and fewer available federal grants.

“Stories we’re hearing on the ground in the nonprofit sector, especially in rural parts of the state," said Oregon Food Bank President Andrea Williams.  "But also just the numbers we’re seeing in terms of the rise of people coming, and then less food.”

Williams met Wednesday with Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, who admits parts of the GOP bill are unpopular, even with those who voted for it.

“There’s at least one Republican who voted for the bill in the Senate who has introduced legislation to reverse the Medicaid cuts, because people are hearing from their constituents saying, ‘wait. We thought you were going to lower costs; we thought this was going to make our lives better. But now you’re cutting programs like Medicaid and SNAP’, ” Bonamici said,

She believes rising food prices from tariffs will push more people toward food assistance in the coming months.

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