If the Farm Bill to be considered in the House Committee on Agriculture on May 23 becomes law, it will mean a cut of nearly $30 billion in future SNAP benefits over a decade.
Such cuts are unconscionable. For many children, they will make learning more difficult and lead to negative health outcomes. They will force families and older adults to choose between putting food on the table and paying for other expenses such as rent, utility bills, or prescription drugs. They will also harm our economy, removing the stimulative benefits of SNAP and even hurting farmers and ranchers along the way.
SNAP is the most effective anti-hunger program in the U.S. It reduces hunger by 30% and provides nutritious meals to one-quarter of America’s children.
The House bill makes these cuts by limiting the USDA’s ability to update the Thrifty Food Plan, which determines SNAP benefit levels, to reflect the real costs of a nutritious diet, based on science, along with reflecting food prices that remain stubbornly high. This will make it tougher for families experiencing food insecurity as well as the food banks that aid them. These would be the largest cuts to SNAP benefits in almost 30 years if enacted. In addition, these changes will trigger more than $500 million in cuts to Summer EBT, which provides grocery benefits to children in low-income families during the summer when schools are closed, along with $100 million in cuts to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which provides food for food banks and food pantries to distribute to individuals and families.
The House bill also would allow states to let private corporations take over determining eligibility for SNAP. Where this has been tried, replacing merit-based staff resulted in corporate skimping on careful help to people applying for or renewing benefits in order to maximize profits. It would also reverse previously enacted steps to reduce agriculture-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
During this time when many families grapple with the cost of housing and food, Congress must do everything in its power to provide relief to those who need it most.
Click “Start Writing” to send a message to Congress urging them to reject any and all cuts to nutrition programs in the FY2025 Farm Bill.
The Latest Plan to Deny Assistance: Shrinking the Poverty Line
Wednesday, May 22, 2:00 p.m. ET(1:00 p.m. CT, noon MT, 11:00 a.m. PT)
By shrinking the poverty line over time, the Trump Administration is proposing to reduce the number of people who qualify for health care, nutrition, and other aid.
Join the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and CHN for a webinar that will tell you how this proposed change would affect people who need Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, school meals, LIHEAP, and many other programs.
The Trump White House is seeking comments by June 21 on changing the way the federal poverty line is adjusted annually for inflation. The webinar will clearly explain why this matters to children, seniors, people with disabilities, and others who are poor or near-poor. You’ll learn how shrinking the inflation adjustment will over time reduce vital assistance by billions of dollars as millions of people are disqualified.
You’ll get clear explanations from expert Center on Budget and Policy Priorities staff. You’ll get access to easy ways to provide comments online, and to resources with the facts and arguments you need.
This webinar will include closed-captioning – we appreciate your sharing with your networks that the webinar and recording provide this form of accessibility for those with hearing impairments.
Register Now! (All registrants will get the slides, webinar recording, and a follow-up email with links to the CHN webpage with resources and easy ways to comment.)