¶ Overview
- During his March 2025 town hall, Edwards also claimed that Republicans’ reconciliation bill did not cut SNAP and accused his constituent of not having read the bill. The framework Edwards voted for outlined $230 billion in cuts, primarily from SNAP benefits. Then, he voted for a bill that made the largest SNAP cut in history. More than 33,000 households in North Carolina’s 11th congressional district relied on SNAP benefits.
¶ Edwards Voted To Cut Food Assistance North Carolinians Relied On To Afford Groceries
¶ MARCH 2025: EDWARDS CLAIMED REPUBLICANS’ RECONCILIATION BILL DID NOT CUT SNAP
Edwards Claimed The Reconciliation Bill Did Not Cut Medicaid, SNAP, Public Housing, Or Veterans’ Benefits And Accused His Constituent Of Not Having Read The Bill. According to a town hall held by Rep. Chuck Edwards, “QUESTION: Why did you vote for the continuing resolution budget bill that will cut Medicaid, SNAP food stamps, public housing, veterans’ benefits, etc. when you have so many hundreds of thousands in in this district that are depending on them? EDWARDS: With, with all due respect, I don't think you've read that bill because that bill didn't cut any of the things that you just suggested. A continuing resolution, a continue, yeah, I see some talking points back there, probably some political talking points that have been passed around. [CROWD GRUMBLING] A continuing resolution continues to spend the taxpayers' money at the same rate that it did in, in, in the previous [MIC CUTS OUT]. And so, this continuing resolution did nothing to cut those things that you're suggesting.” [Congressman Chuck Edwards Town Hall, 3/13/25] (video)
¶ February 2025: EDWARDS Voted For House Republicans’ Budget Framework, Which Set Up Future Cuts To SNAP
February 2025: Edwards Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Framework That Included $2 Trillion In Cuts, Raised The Statutory Debt Limit By $4 Trillion, And Required House Committees To Recommend Legislation That Would Implement Trump’s Agenda. In February 2025, Edwards voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the concurrent resolution that would recommend a budget for fiscal 2025 and budget levels through fiscal 2034. The resolution would assume minimum savings of $1.5 trillion over 10 years and 2.6 percent economic growth over the same period. It also would require the statutory debt limit to be raised by $4 trillion. It also would authorize the House Ways and Means Committee to increase deficits by $4.5 trillion over 10 years to extend the 2017 tax cuts and implement new tax cuts proposed by the White House. It also would provide instructions for the budget reconciliation process through which separate legislation could be considered and passed in the Senate via a simple majority vote. The measure would deliver instructions to 11 House committees to report legislation that would implement President Donald Trump’s agenda, such as expanding tax cuts and bolstering border security and immigration enforcement. The committees would be required to report their legislative recommendations to the House Budget Committee by March 27, 2025. It also would set a $2 trillion target for the spending cuts to be submitted to the House Budget Committee. The resolution also would stipulate that if the committees don't reach that target, the Ways and Means’ reconciliation instructions to increase the deficit by a maximum of $4.5 trillion would be decreased by the amount the other committees come in below the target. Similarly, it would stipulate that Ways and Means could increase the deficit above the $4.5 trillion level by the amount of savings the committees achieve above the $2 trillion target.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the resolution by a vote of 217 to 215. [House Vote 50, 2/25/25; Congressional Quarterly, 2/25/25; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 14]
- HEADLINE: "House Republican Budget Takes Away Health Care, Food Aid To Pay For Expanded Tax Cuts For Wealthy" [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2/21/25]
- CBPP Said The Republican Budget Resolution Outlined $230 Billion In Cuts, Primarily From SNAP Benefits. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "The House Republicans’ budget plan would give major tax cuts to high-income, wealthy households. Extending the expiring individual income and estate tax provisions for households with incomes in the top 5 percent of the income distribution (households with incomes over $321,000) costs around $1.8 trillion through 2034, accounting for 49 percent of the total $3.6 trillion cost of extension through 2034. That $1.8 trillion for wealthy and high-income households is close to the amount of the spending cuts House Republicans have outlined — including at least $880 billion primarily from Medicaid, $230 billion primarily from SNAP benefits, and $330 billion primarily from making student loans more expensive. Of the tax cuts for wealthy households, nearly $200 billion is for an estate tax giveaway that showers some $6 million per estate on the 1 in 1,000 wealthiest estates. In contrast, the average SNAP benefit is $6.20 per person per day, which helps struggling families put food on the table." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2/21/25]
¶ Then Before voting for the house version of the republican budget bill, edwards claimed the bill didn’t go far enough
Edwards On The House Version Of The Big Beautiful Bill: “The Flaw Of This Bill Is That It Doesn’t Go Far Enough, Fast Enough, To Get Our Fiscal House In Order.” According to CBS 17, "Fiscal hawks on the House Budget Committee on Friday sunk a key vote to advance the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ that encompasses President Trump’s legislative agenda, marking a stunning setback for the legislation. The 16-21 vote throws up a hurdle for leaders hoping to send the bill to the Senate by Memorial Day — but are still haggling over last minute changes to appease not only the fiscal hawks but moderates seeking bigger blue-state tax breaks. Three North Carolina Republican congressmen sit on the House Budget committee, including Representative Chuck Edwards (R) from western North Carolina. Rep. Edwards spoke in favor of moving forward with the budget proposal. ‘This is not the Big Beautiful Bill that I had hoped for — but it does reign in mandatory spending, it restores program integrity, and finally begins, but only begins, to right size the federal bureaucracy,’ said Edwards. ‘Mr. Chairman, the flaw of this bill is that it doesn’t go far enough, fast enough, to get our fiscal house in order. But it does take some great strides. Let’s take these strides today, pass this bill and go to work next week in taking greater and bolder steps.’" [CBS 17, 5/16/25]
¶ May 2025: edwards Voted For The House Version Of The Republican Reconciliation Bill, Which Included A $300 Billion Cut To SNAP
May 2025: Edwards Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Included $3.8 Trillion In Tax Cuts Offset By $1.5 Trillion In Spending Reductions To Programs Like Medicaid And The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In May 2025, Edwards voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill that would provide for approximately $3.8 trillion in net tax cuts and $321 billion in military, border enforcement and judiciary spending, offset by $1.5 trillion in spending reductions, as instructed in the fiscal 2025 budget resolution (H Con Res 14). It would raise the statutory debt limit by $4 trillion and provide for increased spending on defense and border security, spending cuts on social safety net programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It also includes a mix of tax breaks for businesses and individuals; tax increases on universities and foundations; and a phase-down of clean energy tax credits. […] It would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring states to shoulder more of the cost, expand work requirements for SNAP, extend programs authorized under the 2018 farm bill, and prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture from increasing the cost of the Thrifty Food Program. As amended, it would cap state and local tax deductions at $40,000 for households with incomes below $500,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 215 to 214. [House Vote 145, 5/22/25; Congressional Quarterly, 5/22/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- The House Republican Reconciliation Bill Included Nearly $300 Billion In Cuts To The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "The House-passed Republican reconciliation plan would cut nearly $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through 2034, based on Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates — by far the largest cut to SNAP in history.[1] As a result of these cuts and other policies in the legislation — which are being used to pay partly for trillions in tax cuts skewed to the wealthy — millions of people would lose some or all of the food assistance they need to afford groceries, when many low-income households are struggling to afford the high cost of food and other basic needs." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 5/28/25]
¶ July 2025: Edwards Voted For The Final GOP Reconciliation Bill, Which Contained The Largest SNAP Cut In History
July 2025: Edwards Voted For The Senate FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Extended $4 Trillion In Expiring Tax Cuts, Added New Tax Breaks, Appropriated $448 Million In Defense, Border, And Immigration Enforcement Funding, Increased The SALT Deduction To $40,000, And Cut Medicaid And Other Social Programs To Offset The Costs. In July 2025, Edwards voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the bill that would permanently extend nearly $4 trillion in expiring individual and business tax cuts, create several new tax breaks and fund border and immigration enforcement and air traffic control upgrades. It would cut Medicaid and other safety net programs to partly offset the cost. Among other provisions, it would raise the statutory debt ceiling by $5 trillion and appropriate more than $448 billion in mandatory funding for Trump administration priorities and other needs, including $153 billion for defense, $89 billion for immigration enforcement, and $89.5 billion for border control and security. It also would increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000 annually for five years for households making up to $500,000 a year until 2030, when it would permanently revert to $10,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 218 to 214. [House Vote 190, 7/3/25; Congressional Quarterly, 7/3/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- HEADLINE: "Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Cuts Food Stamps For Millions — The Average Family May Lose $146 Per Month, Report Finds" [CNBC, 7/10/25]
- The GOP Reconciliation Bill Would Cut SNAP Funding By $186 Billion, Which CBPP Said Constituted The “Largest Cut To SNAP In History.” According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "The Senate Republican leadership’s reconciliation bill would dramatically raise costs and reduce food assistance for millions of people by cutting federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by $186 billion through 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), about 20 percent — the largest cut to SNAP in history. These cuts would increase poverty, food insecurity, and hunger, including among children. The so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is anything but beautiful; it would cause widespread harm by making massive cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, which would raise costs on families and make it much harder for them to afford the high cost of health care and groceries." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 6/30/25]
¶ more than 33,000 North Carolina households in the 11th congressional district relied on snap to buy groceries
2024: 33,328 North Carolina Households In The 11th Congressional District Relied On SNAP.
[U.S. Department of Agriculture, SNAP Community Characteristics, Accessed 4/10/26]