MAZON Statements

Following passage of the American Relief Act of 2025 late last week, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger released the following statement expressing disappointment in both the deeply dysfunctional process as well as the content of the final bill — specifically that protections for SNAP recipients who are victims of benefits theft were removed from the final legislation. The leading nonprofit organization working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds sharply criticized that a critical extension of a 2022 law restoring benefits to victims of “skimming” crimes was stripped out of the bill, leaving tens of millions of food insecure Americans at risk of hunger.

MAZON President & CEO Abby J. Leibman stated,

“As the 118th Congress draws to a close, our elected officials had an opportunity and obligation to deliver for all those whose life-saving SNAP benefits were stolen. These food insecure Americans are now left without recourse. By failing to extend the 2022 provision to restore stolen benefits — in fact, by actively choosing to remove the  extension — members of Congress have failed to make program beneficiaries safe and whole. Not only are the criminal scammers getting away with theft, but the policymakers who could help those in need have enabled the situation to continue.

“We are deeply dismayed that our elected officials were unable to put people over politics and include a common-sense, deeply important provision that would have made a real difference in the lives of so many. We are of course glad to see the government funded with the bare minimum of a one-year Farm Bill extension, but do not mistake us for fools. We know what lies ahead. We are more resolved than ever to fight for the policies we know to be both vital and effective.”

SNAP — the cornerstone of the country’s nutrition safety net — allows 41 million Americans to feed their families with dignity and choice, but it is far too common for beneficiaries to be targeted by “skimmers” who electronically steal funds by planting hidden devices in grocery stores and elsewhere. For this reason, Congress passed a law in 2022 protecting and restoring these funds, which has led to the replacement of more than $150 million in stolen funds. This law has now expired and must be extended by Congress as quickly as possible. To learn more about SNAP and MAZON’s proposals to Congress, visit https://mazon.org/priorities/snap/.