Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
202-640-1118
Statement attributable to Crystal FitzSimons, interim president, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
WASHINGTON, April 16, 2025 – Yesterday, Arkansas and Indiana submitted waivers to restrict food choices for Americans in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with Idaho and other states indicating similar plans. These proposals represent a troubling precedent that shifts SNAP away from its core mission: reducing hunger and supporting the health and dignity of those in need.
The Trump administration’s push to accelerate these efforts undermines the dignity of people with low incomes and signals a dangerous policy direction — one that ignores data and imposes costly and ineffective restrictions. Research consistently shows that the primary barrier to healthier food is affordability, and incentive-based options are more successful at encouraging nutritious food purchases.
Furthermore, these restrictions will place a significant financial burden on state agencies, forcing them to divert resources from core services that are critical to reducing hunger to manage increased administrative costs and enforcement. State budgets will be further strained, limiting the resources available to support those in need and exacerbating challenges for both recipients and the agencies that serve them.
SNAP is a proven and cost-effective program for reducing food insecurity and supporting the health of children, older adults, and veterans. SNAP participation improves health outcomes, reduces health care costs, improves educational outcomes, and supports local economies. Despite the many strengths of SNAP, the average benefit is just $6 per person per day, which is inadequate to meet the full cost of a nutritious diet.
Rather than limiting access, fueling stigma, and making the program more difficult and costly to administer, lawmakers should be focused on expanding resources, promoting healthier food access, and more urgently, opposing the harmful proposals to weaken SNAP. We look forward to working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Congress to reject these harmful proposals and advance policies that reduce hunger and improve health.
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The Food Research & Action Center improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit FRAC.org and follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.
