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Changes to SNAP benefits begin Oct. 1 for millions of Americans: What to know

No working family in Illinois should have to choose between groceries and the bills. Yesterday, SNAP cuts from the Big Ugly Law are in effect. Five million Americans — including more than a million children — have already lost benefits.

abcnews.com

Major changes are coming on Oct. 1 for the tens of millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food assistance.

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LIUNA General President Brent Booker’s Statement on Permitting Reform

Real, lasting permitting reform doesn’t happen without labor at the table. Securing the support of @weareliuna.bsky.social and General President Booker is a critical piece of getting a package like this across the finish line and guaranteeing that working men and women share in the benefits.

liuna.org

Washington, D.C. (October 2, 2026) — On behalf of the 540,000 members of the Laborers’ I

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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I am standing with survivors as we push for a future free from violence, fear, and abuse. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home, relationships, and community. Free, confidential help is available at thehotline.org or call 800-799-SAFE.

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Live Updates: Job Growth Cools and Unemployment Ticks Higher

Only 29,000 jobs were added in September, unemployment ticked up to 4.2%, and wages grew at just 3% — well below inflation. Workers are falling further behind, and families in Central and Southern Illinois are feeling it every time they fill up the tank or go to the grocery store.

nytimes.com

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 01/10/2026

I was honored to sit down with the Chicago Tribune to discuss my vision for working families. They need lower gas prices, affordable healthcare, good-paying jobs, and leaders who show up for them. Read More:

chicagotribune.com

John T. Shaw: US Rep. Nikki Budzinski believes centrist workhorses can prevail over far-left show horses

Centrists may not claim to usher in new eras in American economic and political life, but they are working to solve problems.

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 30/09/2026

Iowa is "ground zero" for a farm crisis and it's spreading. Tariffs are driving up costs and killing export markets. Illinois farmers know this too. This is what tariffs and the Iran war have done to American agriculture.

axios.com

"Brace for losing everything": Farm crisis fears grip GOP in Iowa

Trump's policies have cause severe financial problems for farmers. Iowa is especially vulnerable.

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 29/09/2026

It was great to meet with Collinsville CUSD 10 Superintendent Dr. Mark Skertich to talk about workforce development and the exciting expansion of the Collinsville Area Vocational Center.

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 29/09/2026

The Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 established a tradition that has held for nearly half a century — pairing support for farmers with SNAP as we know it today, the largest nutrition assistance program for families. The two have gone together because our farmers feed our country.

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 29/09/2026

Want to spend a semester working for Central and Southern Illinois? Spring 2027 internship applications are now open for our district offices. Gain real experience in public service, constituent work, and policy. Apply today!

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 28/09/2026

Last week, I spent time in Decatur with faith leaders, educators, and community organizations to talk about our young people. What they need, what's standing in their way, and how we build something better for them right here at home.

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 28/09/2026

The University of Illinois Extension just launched a new Center for Food Systems, Nutrition Security, and Health Integration right here in our district. The goal is to connect farmers and communities with research that puts healthy food in the hands of people who need it.

wcia.com

U of I Extension announces new center focused on food, nutrition, health

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A center focused on nutrition research and health is coming to the University of Illinois campus. It’s called the Center for Food Systems, Nutrition Security an…

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 28/09/2026

ICYMI: Last week I joined Champaign County Health Care Consumers for a fireside chat on the issues hitting Central Illinois families hardest right now — Medicaid cuts, SNAP reductions, ACA cancellations, and Social Security. Watch here:

youtu.be

Rep. Budzinski Fireside Chat with Champaign County Health Care Consumers

YouTube video by Rep. Nikki Budzinski

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 27/09/2026

Today is Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day - a day to recognize and honor families of fallen military service members. The gold star symbolizes the supreme sacrifice a service member made while serving our nation.

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 26/09/2026

Today is National Public Lands Day, where communities across the country will celebrate National Public Lands Day by enjoying the great outdoors and giving back to our shared natural resources.

neefusa.org

Browse NPLD Locations In Your Area

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 26/09/2026

A federal judge just ordered the White House to restore press access to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. Good — they never should have been removed in the first place. Banning journalists because the President doesn't like their coverage is unconstitutional. A free press is non-negotiable.

nytimes.com

CNN, MS NOW and Politico Return to White House After Fight Over Access

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 25/09/2026

The policy fights we're in right now with proposed cuts to EQIP funding, local food programs, market consolidation — have real consequences for farms like hers.

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 25/09/2026

It was a beautiful afternoon at Delight Flower Farm in Champaign yesterday with farmers, conservationists, and advocates from the Illinois Stewardship Alliance and American Farmland Trust. Maggie Taylor built this farm from a backyard operation into a thriving, sustainable business.

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 25/09/2026

Another massive recall — 167,000 pounds of pork, beef, and goat products with fake USDA inspection labels. Americans should be able to trust that the food they buy is safe. That trust requires a fully staffed, fully funded USDA food safety system — not one hollowed out by cuts and firings.

cnn.com

More than 167,000 pounds of meat with false inspection labels recalled nationwide | CNN

More than 167,000 pounds of meat are being recalled across the United States after being produced without proper federal inspection, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 24/09/2026

Starting soon — join me live at 6:00 PM CT for a fireside chat on what cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and ACA mean for Central and Southern Illinois families. I'll be taking your questions in real time. Register here if you haven't already: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

us06web.zoom.us

Fireside Chat with Representative Budzinski

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 24/09/2026

Americans have spent $107 billion more on fuel since the Iran war began. That's $750 per household. That's more than what the entire country spends on elementary and secondary education in a year. Working families in Central and Southern Illinois can't absorb this much longer.

wsj.com

Americans Have Spent $100 Billion More on Fuel During the Iran War

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 24/09/2026

Congressional Republicans in Washington cut Medicaid, slashed SNAP, and let ACA premiums skyrocket. Central and Southern Illinois families deserve answers about what that means for them — and what I'm doing about it. Join me tonight at 6pm CT for a fireside chat. I'll take your questions live.

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Diesel is averaging $6.83 a gallon across our state. Central and Southern Illinois families and farmers are absorbing all of this right at harvest season. This is unsustainable.

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Gas prices surge across Illinois amid Great Lakes disruptions

Illinois gas prices jumped 41 cents in a single week — now averaging $4.88 a gallon, $1.53 more than a year ago. The Iran war and regional refinery issues are hitting the Great Lakes states especially hard.

sj-r.com

Drivers across Illinois are paying more at the pump after regional refinery disruptions pushed gas prices sharply higher.

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A lot has happened in Washington this year when it comes to healthcare and nutrition programs. Medicaid cuts. SNAP reductions. ACA premium hikes. I want to talk directly to you about what it means for Central and Southern Illinois families — and what we're fighting to do about it.

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I’m honored to have met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres at NYC Climate Week this week. A powerful reminder of the global stakes behind the work we're doing every day. [📷 credit: UN Photo/ Eskinder Debebe]

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one of the most promising tools we have to reduce emissions in one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize. For Illinois corn and soybean growers who can supply the feedstocks, it's also a real economic opportunity. Clean energy and agricultural opportunities go hand in hand.

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 22/09/2026

A big week at NYC Climate Week. I delivered the keynote at CAP's Industrial Decarbonization event on how we can advance a strategic, worker-centric industrial policy and spoke with industry leaders at about sustainable aviation fuel

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Multiply that across hundreds of acres and you understand what record fuel prices mean for farm families right now. This is the cost of an unresolved war — and working farmers are absorbing every bit of it.

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 22/09/2026

The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act does anything but take care of our veterans. What it actually does is cut $57 billion in disability benefits from more than 1.5 million veterans — including those injured in service. That's not how we honor the people who served.

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I’m proud to cosponsor the Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act to push for earlier detectionbetter treatment, and less stigma. We're not done fighting.

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Today we pause to remember World Alzheimer's Day. Alzheimer's doesn't just affect the person diagnosed — it affects every family member, every caregiver, every person who loves them.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/science/nih-omb-grants-bhattacharya-vought.html?unlocked_article_code=1.C1E.xuHy.5OeG5X7wRrQk&smid=url-share

Science shouldn't be subject to political approval. The White House is drafting an executive order to give political appointees veto power over NIH scientific grants. This is about control — steering billions in cancer, heart disease, and infectious disease research based on politics, not evidence.

nytimes.com

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33 years ago today, the National and Community Service Trust Act was signed, creating AmeriCorps. Since then, more than a million Americans have answered the call to serve — tutoring kids, responding to disasters, fighting poverty, and building stronger communities.

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The Iran war just got more expensive. A Saudi pipeline was knocked out by drone attacks and could be offline for weeks. Gas is already above $4.70 a gallon in Illinois and experts are warning prices could still rise with ongoing attacks. Working families can't keep absorbing these costs.

thetelegraph.com

Client Challenge

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 20/09/2026

Wishing a meaningful and reflective Yom Kippur to all those celebrating in Central and Southern Illinois and around the world. G'mar Chatima Tovah.

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Nikki Budzinski @budzinski.house.gov · 19/09/2026

If this is true, it is one of the most serious betrayals of trust I've seen in my time in Congress. The Pentagon's public database says 18 Americans have died in the Iran war. Six U.S. officials are now confirming the real number is at least 22 — possibly 23.That is shocking. It is unacceptable.

wapo.st

https://wapo.st/3SPycmE

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Another Enjoy Illinois 300 in the books — and what a race. The Metro East showed up in a big way, and the racing delivered every bit of it. This event keeps getting better. I'm already looking forward to next year. 🏁

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My deepest condolences to his family, his fiancée, their infant daughter, and the entire Staunton Police Department.

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I’m heartbroken to learn of the passing of Staunton Police Officer Ethan Hoese — a Marine Corps veteran, a dedicated officer, and a young father — who was killed in a motorcycle crash on Saturday.

thetelegraph.com

Client Challenge

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Illinois has lost 400 farms in the last year. Tariffs are driving up fuel and fertilizer costs, export markets are closing, and the President is focused on ballrooms. How does any of that make life more affordable for working families?

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A highlight from yesterday’s traveling office hours — sitting down with Staunton Mayor Craig Neuhaus. These conversations with local elected officials are how we make sure the work we do in Washington actually reflects what's happening on the ground in our communities.

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