¶ Overview
Miller-Meeks voted for a bill that made the largest SNAP cut in history. She defending her vote for the bill, by calling it a “once-in-a-generation victory.” More than 28,000 Iowans in her district rely on SNAP to afford groceries.
In 2013, while she was serving as Iowa’s top public health official, Miller-Meeks made disparaging comments about Iowans who relied on food stamps, claiming without evidence that the number one item they purchased was Mountain Dew. A few months later, Miller-Meeks admitted Iowa did not keep track of the type of food Iowans bought with food stamps. She then resigned, but claimed that was unrelated to her false statements.
¶ Mountain Dew Miller-Meeks Voted To Cut Food Assistance That More Than 28,000 Of Her Constituents Rely On
¶ Miller-Meeks Voted for The House Republican Reconciliation Bill that Made the Largest Snap Cut in History
¶ July 2025: Miller-Meeks Voted For The Final GOP Reconciliation Bill, Which Contained The Largest SNAP Cut In History
July 2025: Miller-Meeks Voted For The Senate FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Extended $4 Trillion In Expiring Tax Cuts, Added New Tax Breaks, Appropriated $448 Billion 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, Miller-Meeks 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]
¶ May 2025: Miller-Meeks Voted For The House Version Of The Republican Reconciliation Bill, Which Included A $300 Billion Cut To SNAP
May 2025: Miller-Meeks 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, Miller-Meeks 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]
- HEADLINE: “Miller-Meeks, Nunn Vote To Cut Medicaid And SNAP” [Iowa Starting Line, 5/22/25]
- 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]
¶ February 2025: Miller-Meeks Voted For House Republicans’ Budget Framework, Which Set Up Future Cuts To SNAP
February 2025: Miller-Meeks 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, Miller-Meeks 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, Primary 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]
¶ Miller-Meeks Defended Her Votes To Cut Snap As A “Once-In-A-Generation Victory” And Claimed She Voted In The Interest Of Her Constituents
July 2025: Miller-Meeks Defended The Republican Reconciliation Bill As A “Once-In-A-Generation Victory For The American People” And She Was “Proud” To Have Voted For It. According to a press release from Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ office, "Statement from Rep. Miller-Meeks on the Passage of H.R.1: ‘Today, the House delivered on the mandate given to us by 77 million Americans and passed President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. This legislation prevents the largest tax hike on Iowa families and small businesses in history by making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent. It reduces taxes on tips and overtime, doubles the child tax credit, provides a $6,000 tax break for seniors, brings manufacturing jobs back to America, and restores our energy dominance. After four years of crushing inflation and high energy costs under Joe Biden, this bill delivers the relief hardworking Americans deserve. It also secures the border for good by ending catch-and-release, finishing the fence, and hiring thousands of new agents with the tools to stop crime, fentanyl, and chaos. This bill strengthens and preserves Medicaid for those it was intended to serve: children, pregnant women, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. It also delivers $50 billion in new relief for rural hospitals serving communities like ours. This is a once-in-a-generation victory for the American people. I was proud to vote for it and look forward to President Trump signing it into law just in time for Independence Day.’” [Press Release – Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, 7/3/25; H.R. 1, House Vote 190, 7/3/25]
Miller-Meeks Claimed She Was Voting In Her Constituents Best Interests When Supporting Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” According to Our Quad Cities, "‘When you are in Congress, you are supposed to be the voice of the people that put you there, and they deserve to have answers on what you are doing,’ said Travis Terrell, a Democratic candidate for Rep. Miller-Meeks’ 1st Congressional District seat. Rep. Miller-Meeks, though, feels as if she is doing just that. ‘We are absolutely voting in (the constituents’) best interest because we voted to preserve and strengthen Medicaid,’ Miller-Meeks said. ‘Had we not done that, the trajectory of Medicaid spending is unsustainable.’" [Our Quad Cities, 5/29/25]
- HEADLINE: “Congress Passes Budget Bill With Deep Cuts To Medicaid And SNAP. What That Means For Iowa” [Des Moines Register, 5/22/25]
- HEADLINE: “Protesters Wait Outside Rep. Miller-Meeks’ Event In Davenport” [Our Quad Cities, 5/29/25]
Miller-Meeks Suggested She Wanted To Roll Back The Expansion Of SNAP And Food Assistance Benefits. According to the Daily Iowan, "MILLER-MEEKS: There was a huge expansion of the people on SNAP and food assistance benefits under the Biden administration. It first started under President Trump with COVID, continued under the Biden administration, and people weren’t removed from those roles. So, there is some reordering and restructuring, I think." [Daily Iowan, 4/8/25]
¶ While Serving as Iowa’s Top Public Health Official, Miller-Meeks Made Disparaging Comments About Iowans on Food Stamps
¶ October 2013: While Serving As Iowa’s Top Public Health Official, Miller-Meeks Claimed, Without Evidence, That The Number One Item Iowans Bought On Food Stamps Was Mountain Dew
October 2013: While Serving As Director Of The Iowa Department Of Public Health, Miller-Meeks Publicly Claimed, Without Evidence, Mountain Dew Was The Number One Food Item Bought With Food Stamps In Iowa. According to the Des Moines Register, "Iowa's top public health official denied Wednesday that she was implying that the food stamp program should be cut when she falsely said that soda was the most popular item Iowans purchase with their benefits. ‘It was not political at all,’ Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said in an interview at the Iowa Department of Public Health. Miller-Meeks, who is the department's director, made the claim about food stamps in October at a World Food Prize conference in Des Moines, according to a Lee Newspapers story this week. ‘The No. 1 food item bought with food stamps in Iowa is Mountain Dew,’ she said. She later acknowledged that the state does not keep such statistics, and she said she could not recall where she'd found the information." [Des Moines Register, 1/9/14]
- Miller-Meeks in 2013: “Guess What The Number One Product Is Purchased With Food Stamps? Mountain Dew.” According to the Des Moines Register, “MILLER-MEEKS: SNAP, there are no nutrition requirements currently in the SNAP or the food stamp program. This is something a long term strategy will be looking to alter that and change that. With the facility of just in time inventory, guess what the number one product is purchased with food stamps? Mountain dew.” [Iowa Hunger Summit, 10/15/13] (video) 00:00:17-00:00:45
¶ January 2014: Miller-Meeks Acknowledged That Iowa Did Not Keep Track Of The Food That Iowans Bought With Food Stamps
Miller-Meeks Later Acknowledged Iowa Did Not Keep Track Of The Food Iowans Purchased With Food Stamps. According to the Des Moines Register, "Democrats had criticized her this week for making an unsubstantiated claim that Mountain Dew was the top food item Iowans purchased with food stamps. She acknowledged later that Iowa doesn’t track such purchases. In a Register interview Wednesday, she said the incident was not political." [Des Moines Register, 1/9/14]
- Miller-Meeks Claimed Her Comment About Food Stamp Recipients Buying Mountain Dew Was A Miscommunication. According to the Gazette, "The resignation announcement comes days after a news report that Miller-Meeks made unfounded claims last fall that Mountain Dew was the most popular food stamp item in Iowa. Political opponents criticized it as a politically motivated statement, a claim Miller-Meeks denied and said through a spokesperson she regretted the miss-communication." [Gazette, 1/9/14]
¶ January 2014: Miller-Meeks Resigned As Iowa’s Top Public Health Official And Claimed It Was Unrelated To Her False Comments About Food Stamps And Mountain Dew
January 2014: Miller-Meeks Resigned From Her Position As Director Of The Iowa Department Of Public Health Shortly After She Was Criticized For Her Comments About Food Stamps, But Claimed The Incident Was Unrelated To Her Decision To Resign. According to the Des Moines Register, "Iowa’s top public-health official, who was criticized this week for making unsubstantiated comments about food stamps, has resigned. Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said the decision to resign as director of the Iowa Department of Public Health was unrelated to the dust-up over those comments. Instead, she said, she was leaving her job so she could concentrate on other options, including a possible third run for Congress. ‘It was totally voluntary, totally my choice, and I leave in good standing,’ she said in an interview with the Des Moines Register this morning." [Des Moines Register, 1/9/14]
¶ More Than 28,000 Iowans In IA-01 Relied on Snap Benefits to Afford Groceries
2023: 28,793 Iowans In The First Congressional District Relied On SNAP Benefits. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
[U.S. Department of Agriculture, SNAP Community Characteristics Dashboard, Viewed 2/11/25]