Torres Calls for Accountability as 7,000 Face SNAP Loss
- Mary Camacho Torres
- May 28
- 2 min read
Republican congressional candidate Mary Camacho Torres on Wednesday called on Delegate James Moylan to provide a public explanation after nearly 7,000 Guam residents were identified as being at risk of losing SNAP benefits despite the delegate’s previous public assurances that Guam recipients would not see cuts tied to federal benefit changes.
In a letter to Moylan, Torres cited statements he made during a June 2025 online press conference in which he said, “It’s clear to our office and to the administration that there are no cuts,” and assured Guam residents that SNAP recipients would receive their full benefit payments unless fraud, waste or abuse was involved.
“These assurances are inconsistent with what Guam residents are now facing,” Torres wrote.
According to Department of Public Health and Social Services Director Theresa Arriola, approximately 6,956 Guam residents classified as able-bodied adults without dependents, or ABAWDs, are now at risk of losing SNAP benefits. Arriola has publicly estimated the financial impact at more than $3 million per month from Guam households and the local economy.
Torres said the issue requires more than explanation after the fact.
“Public assurances carry weight, especially when families rely on them to understand whether they will be able to put food on the table,” Torres said. “If the information given to the people of Guam was inaccurate, then our community deserves to know why, what changed, and what is being done now to protect them.”
The ABAWD work requirements now being enforced on Guam require recipients to work 20 or more hours per week, or 80 hours per month, in an approved work program. Torres also noted that federal changes expanded the definition of ABAWDs to include older adults and parents of teenagers who were previously exempt.
In her letter, Torres asked Moylan to answer several questions publicly, including whether his office understood pending federal legislation could expand SNAP work requirements to Guam, what actions his office has taken to protect affected residents, and whether he advocated for Guam-specific exemptions or modifications during the legislative process.
Torres also called on Moylan to hold a public informational briefing for residents directly affected by the changes.
“Nearly 7,000 people are now on the verge of losing food assistance,” Torres said. “Guam deserves clear answers, urgent action, and representation that understands the real cost of getting this wrong.”
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