During a visit to Food for Lane County on Thursday, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said food should not be used as a political weapon.

“The largest [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] cut in history passed Congress in the summer of 2025. And the first pledge I want to make is that as Oregon’s senior senator, I’m going to do everything I can to reverse that damage,” he said.

Wyden pointed to recent legislation he and fellow Oregon U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley introduced that would allow grocery stores to opt to offer discounts to SNAP recipients when a government shutdown prevents them from getting full benefits.

He said the injury goes beyond recipients and also impacts the places people normally shop.

“All of these cutbacks really hurt local grocery stores and really hurt jobs in Lane County

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