Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
202-640-1118
Statement attributable to Crystal FitzSimons, president, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
WASHINGTON, January 21, 2026 — The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) finds it unfathomable that Congress ignored the resounding calls from organizations, state and local leaders, and state agencies to use the appropriations process to stop the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cost shifts to states outlined in the budget reconciliation law (H.R. 1). This failure to act will increase hunger, strain already fragile state budgets, harm farmers and food retailers, and weaken local economies across the country.
For the first time, states will be required to pay a portion of SNAP benefits, while their share of administrative costs will rise from 50 to 75 percent.
These cost shifts will force states to make the impossible choices of cutting eligibility for families, veterans, older adults, and people with disabilities; raising taxes; or cutting other essential services. Some states will be unable to absorb these costs at all, putting the future of SNAP itself at risk and leaving a trail of hunger, malnutrition, and economic turmoil.
SNAP is our most proven anti-hunger program, and it is one of the nation’s most effective economic mobility and economic stabilization tools. Every SNAP dollar generates up to $1.80 in economic activity during economic downturns, supporting grocery stores, food retailers, and farmers. Additionally, SNAP eligibility connects students with child nutrition programs, reducing the risk of child hunger at home and at school. SNAP lifts millions of people out of poverty, and no other program operates at this scale or with this level of efficiency.
Charities, food pantries, and local municipalities are not equipped to handle the demand when people lose access to SNAP benefits. For every one meal a food bank provides, SNAP provides nine.
FRAC calls on Congress to make SNAP a top priority in future legislative vehicles and to reverse these harmful cost shifts to states so that families, farmers, food retailers, and communities can thrive.
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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.