Budget blow: SNAP cuts threaten nutrition security for 40 million US citizens while Rollins pushes reforms

The Republican-led US House of Representatives is proposing a US$230 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over ten years, which the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) says can have food and nutrition security implications for 40 million people.

At the same time, US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is pushing for reforms to reshape SNAP, including stricter work requirements and reassessing what foods should be eligible for purchase.

Nutrition Insight speaks to the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s (CSPI) deputy director, Joelle Johnson, who says SNAP cuts will “unnecessarily thrust millions of people further into food insecurity.”

“Another approach the House Republicans has floated is to freeze the reevaluation of the benefits every five years to only rise with inflation. While this may seem benign, it would actually be a significant benefit cut for future SNAP participants. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that this move would cut $30 billion from SNAP over ten years.”

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), food-at-home prices increased 1.2% in 2024 compared with 2023.

“The House Republicans has also proposed expanding work requirements and limiting states’ abilities to waive work requirements during times of high unemployment, which would effectively kick millions of people off the program,” adds Philip Kahn-Pauli, director of Legislative Affairs at CSPI. “It is also worth noting that the House House Republicans is simultaneously proposing cuts to the federal school meal program.”

“SNAP and school meals are the largest sources of food assistance for families experiencing food insecurity. The House Republicans is looking for ways to cover the cost of a US$4.5 trillion tax cut. These devastating cuts to SNAP and school meal programs would only cover 5% of that bill.”

At the expense of families

The CBPP think tank’s president, Sharon Parrot, believes House Budget Committee chairman Jodey Arrington’s proposal prioritizes tax cuts for the wealthy “at the expense of families who already have a hard time making ends meet.”

Rollins says she would “welcome” DOGE to assess SNAP (Image credit: USDA).“This is an upside-down plan that prioritizes the wealthy and well-connected over families for whom the cost of health care, college, and food is a serious concern,” she says. “This budget plan reflects a stark betrayal of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises to protect families who struggle financially.”

CBPP stresses that SNAP is an essential hunger-fighting initiative that benefits children, parents, older adults, disabled people, workers, and other low-income people. It helps one in eight people, including one in five children.

“Proposed harmful policy changes would cut food assistance across the US, making it harder for millions of people to buy the groceries they need.”

House Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig responds to the proposed SNAP cuts by warning that 23% of families will face even greater hardships as food inflation increases. 

“A bipartisan farm bill has always been a coalition between the farmers who produce the food and Americans who need a helping hand. Today, it appears House Republicans are proposing to cut funding for hungry children, seniors, and veterans to help partially pay for their tax bill.”

“Cutting farm bill nutrition programs does not make life affordable for everyday people,” she adds, highlighting that SNAP also created thousands of jobs. 

Vince Hall, Feeding America’s chief government relations officer, warns, “If these proposals move forward, they could also risk further delaying the passage of a bipartisan farm bill.”

Johnson adds: “A cut to SNAP is not just a cut to beneficiaries — it is a cut across the entire food system and the entire workforce involved. Cuts impact farmers, logistics workers, grocers, retailers, and families in all 50 states.”

“Some farmers have been caught up in the federal funding freeze and many others have not yet received any clarity on when or if USDA will restore cut contracts or subsidies. Further, SNAP participation is higher in rural communities than in urban districts — precisely the rural communities where farmers live and work their trade.”

Parrot believes the budget proposal prioritizes tax cuts for the wealthy.SNAP cuts will impact major retailers, causing beneficiaries to limit spending and affecting small businesses, who make up the majority of SNAP-authorized retailers, adds Kahn-Pauli.

SNAP assessment

Rollins has taken several steps to advance Trump’s agenda, including sending a notice to states to promote leaders to participate in pilot programs for reforming SNAP. She presented several principles, such as setting stricter work requirements for eligibility.

“I look forward to working with Bobby Kennedy [Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] as we figure out, do we have the healthiest choices?” she recently told reporters outside the White House. “So when a taxpayer is putting money into SNAP, are they okay with us using their tax dollars to feed really bad food and sugary drinks to children who perhaps need something more nutritious?”

Rollins would also “welcome” CEO of Tesla Motors Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to assess SNAP, taking a “business approach” to examining the success metrics of the program. “Will we ever take food out of a hungry child’s mouth? Of course not…but truly, this program has grown so large, especially in the last administration. Under [former President Joe] Biden, I think SNAP grew almost 30% more than before.”

“Oftentimes, these government programs are started with the idea that you’re going to help people — it’s not a handout, it’s a hand up — and then years later, the programs are even bigger, and you’ve got more people on them.”

Meanwhile, the US state of West Virginia has introduced a bill suggesting increasing the requirements for those obtaining SNAP.

Trump’s funding freeze 

In previous news, Trump’s freeze on foreign aid threatens the US Agency for International Development’s future, which is responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. We examined how the move threatens global humanitarian assistance on malnutrition, food security, emergency responses, and combating stunting. 

Trump also rescinded a funding freeze memo after a US court blocked an attempt and caused havoc for nutrition and food nonprofits. The White House spokesperson said the executive orders remain in “full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented.” We also looked at how his administration’s plans for tariffs and reforms could significantly affect the country’s food and nutrition regulations and policies.