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Rouzer’s War on the Working Poor

When David Rouzer takes aim, he doesn’t go after billionaires or corporate polluters. He goes after kids. Seniors. Disabled people. Veterans. And anyone in southeastern North Carolina who relies on food assistance to survive.

As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Rouzer is marching lockstep with his party to slash a staggering $300 billion from SNAP — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — over the next decade.

SNAP feeds over 41 million Americans — including thousands right here in District 7. In counties like Robeson, Columbus, and Bladen, where poverty and food insecurity run high, SNAP is a critical lifeline.

The bill Rouzer backs does more than just trim benefits. It rips the whole structure apart:

  • It forces states to pay up to 25% of food costs, an unprecedented move that would bankrupt rural states like North Carolina or force them to scale back SNAP entirely.
  • It raises the age for work requirements to 64 and narrows exemptions, meaning many more adults — including people with disabilities and caretakers — will be kicked off the program.
  • It guts administrative funding, pushes states to recover overpayments regardless of fault, and blocks future SNAP benefit updates based on modern nutritional science.

Imagine telling a struggling grandmother in Brunswick County that her monthly food assistance is being cut because she’s not “productive” enough — while billionaires get another tax break.

SNAP keeps people out of poverty. It keeps kids in school, lowers health costs, and supports local grocers and farmers. Every SNAP dollar generates $1.80 in economic activity. Take that away, and you’re not just hurting the poor. You’re hurting everyone.

Meanwhile, big-box retailers like Walmart — who pocket nearly one quarter of SNAP redemptions — stay silent.

What’s worse, SNAP is already underfunded. The average benefit is just $6.20 a day. Try feeding your family on that. Now cut it again. This is what Rouzer calls “fiscal responsibility.”

SNAP isn’t perfect, but it works. It lifts millions out of poverty, reduces food insecurity by 30%, and helps seniors and children stay nourished. But Rouzer wants to replace that system with something that’s essentially a trapdoor.

This isn’t reform. It’s sabotage. And it’s personal. Because in North Carolina’s 7th District, nearly one in five children relies on SNAP. David Rouzer is voting to take food off their plates — while defending tax cuts for the ultra-rich.

When was the last time David Rouzer showed up to a food bank? Volunteered at a school lunch program? Listened to a single working-class family struggling to afford groceries?

If he had, he might know what hunger feels like.

But instead, he votes from comfort. He votes from privilege. He votes to protect the wealthy, and punish the poor.

We deserve better. We deserve a representative who sees dignity in every dinner table. We deserve leadership that feeds its people, not starves them for political points.

David Rouzer didn’t just vote to cut SNAP. He helped write the bill. That tells you everything.

Hold Rouzer accountable. Call 202-225-2731 and tell him: Not in our name. Not in District 7. Not now. Not ever.


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