Senator Anwar To Live On $6.20 Per Day In Solidarity With Connecticut Residents Set To Lose SNAP

HARTFORD, CT — Today, out of solidarity with the 17,437 individuals in Connecticut’s Third Senate District and the 391,200 residents statewide expected to lose access to SNAP benefits beginning Saturday, November 1, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) announced he will live on $6.20 of food per day, the average daily amount provided to SNAP recipients through federal assistance.

The move comes as food assistance for more than 40 million Americans is expected to end Saturday as federal Republicans continue to refuse to negotiate on health insurance policy, stretching the current federal government shutdown into a second month.

Sen. Anwar noted the the Trump administration last week refused to authorize a $5 billion SNAP contingency reserve actively held by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Those funds could be released to ensure uninterrupted support for families facing food insecurity across the nation, but federal leaders are refusing to take action.

“No elected official should ever look away from the pain of a mother choosing between food and medicine, or a senior deciding whether to skip a meal to keep the lights on,” said Sen. Anwar. “This is the daily reality for too many of our neighbors — and it’s about to get much worse if this lifeline is severed. To live their experiences is to gain deeper understanding of the severe challenges too many will soon face. This is not a partisan issue — it’s a human issue. We must act now, with compassion and urgency, to prevent hunger in our communities.”

Sen. Anwar‘s efforts are aligned with the 13,850 residents in East Hartford, 1,614 in East Windsor, 1,216 in South Windsor, and 757 in Ellington who are slated to lose SNAP aid, just some of the hundreds of thousands who will have food aid stripped by the weekend.

Senator Anwar called on state and federal leaders to form a clear and coordinated response to compel the USDA to deploy its statutory transfer authorities to bridge the funding gap, establish a SNAP funding bridge and strengthen community food response networks and efforts. He emphasized the need for collaboration among local stores, grocers, community organizations, and faith groups to ensure that every family in need can access food in the coming weeks.