Durbin Calls Out Trump Administration's USDA Cuts During Visit To Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House
METRO EAST — U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined leaders from the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House and the St. Louis Area Foodbank to discuss the impact of the Trump Administration’s cuts to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on food pantries and their ability to serve the Metro East.
USDA halted $1 billion from the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA), which reimburses states for purchasing fresh produce from local farmers, which is then distributed to food pantries like the St. Louis Area Foodbank. Without this federal funding, the IL-EATS program, which is funded through USDA’s LFPA program, has been suspended, causing more than 175 small Illinois farmers and hundreds of food banks throughout the state to be left in the lurch.
“The Trump Administration has already cut $1.5 billion from crucial USDA programs that help food pantries and social service providers like the St. Louis Area Foodbank and Lessie Bates Davis,” said Durbin. “Now, House Republicans want to cut SNAP and Medicaid by hundreds of billions of dollars in order to give billionaires a tax break. This is bad for Illinois and bad for America. I’ll continue fighting to protect families who are just trying to put food on their tables.”
“The recent USDA cuts to the food pantry will have a deeply felt negative impact on the East St. Louis community, where many families already face economic hardship. These reductions in resources limit the pantry’s ability to provide essential nutrition to underprivileged residents, including children, seniors, and the disabled. As a vital lifeline for so many, the food pantry is now struggling to meet growing demand, leaving vulnerable individuals at greater risk of hunger and further hardship. This decision not only undermines food security—it threatens the wellbeing and dignity of an entire community striving to overcome systemic challenges,” said Reverend Gary Gaston, CEO of Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House.
"The St. Louis Area Foodbank proudly partners with food pantries across our 12-county Illinois service area to ensure our neighbors have access to healthy, nutritious food. Driven by the vision of a food-secure Southwestern Illinois, we collaborate with farmers, businesses, and local organizations to develop innovative solutions forevolving needs. We are proud to serve Southwestern Illinois and grateful for the support that enables us to serve this vital region,” said Meredith Knopp, President and CEO of the St. Louis Area Foodbank.
Durbin joined U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and 29 Senators in a letter demanding a reversal of USDA’s cancellation of food purchase programs across the United States, warning of the harmful impacts this move will have on both families and American farmers. Durbin and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) also led a letter to press USDA for more information about the cancellation of previously-approved funding through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for food banks and other emergency food providers.
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