The Constitution gives Congress the “power of the purse.” How Congress chooses to spend our resourcesdemonstrates their priorities and highlights the direction they want to take our nation. “Appropriations” is the process for developing our nation’s budget each year. Through it, Congress assigns dollars to federal departments, agencies, and programs. See FRAC’s priorities for appropriations. 

Agriculture Appropriations includes the federal nutrition programs and provides funding to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to administer those programs. Most of the federal nutrition programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the National School Lunch Program, are entitlements, with funding guaranteed to serve those who are eligible and participatein the program.  Alternatively, the funding for discretionaryprograms, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), is determined each year through the appropriations process.     

At the end of April, the House passed their Agriculture Appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2027. The bill does not reflect a commitment to building a nation free from hunger. Instead, it cuts funding for WIC, does not reverse cuts or provide critical support for SNAP, and does not restore the Household Food Security Report, undermining transparency into the struggle that millions face to put food on the table.  

As the Senate moves Agriculture Appropriations forward, they must take a different path and prioritize the health and well-being of our nation, including families, children, older adults, and veterans. FRAC has laid out our full priorities that all should be included in the bill, and I want to focus on just a few of those priorities here: 

  • Fully fund and support access to WIC. FRAC, and more than 375 national, state, and local organizations signed on to a letter urging that the Senate bill include full funding for WIC’s food packages, including the current cash value benefit (CVB) for the purchase of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, WIC serves just 56 percent of those who are eligible, resulting in many moms, infants, and young children who are at nutritional risk missing out on the much-needed nutrition prescription that WIC provides. Given the low participation rates, there needs to be a focus on strengthening and supporting access for those who are eligible, and the Senate should include and make permanent the flexible service options that help overcome transportation and logistical challenges that new moms face, and are included in the 21st Century WIC Act (S. 3842).    
  • Ensure program access during a governmentshutdown. Last fall, a humanitarian crisis unfolded when families, for the first time during a shutdown, lost access to their SNAP benefits, with states and communities scrambling to fill the gap. To ensure this never happens again, the Senate must appropriate full monthly benefits and services for all SNAP participants. For WIC, there was a tremendous amount of confusion as states scrambled to operatethe program and provide benefits, so the Senate should increase the WIC contingency fund to support a full month of operations. 
  • Reinstate the USDA Household Food Security report: USDA announced last fall that it will no longer release the Economic Research Service (ERS) Household Food Security report, the gold standard for understanding the struggle that millions of families face in putting food on the table. If our nation is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to the food they need to thrive, we have to understand who is being impacted and how, and the overall impactof policy decisions to guide our policy choices in the future.  

The nation’s annual budget is a choice, and it is one that should be based on our values and needs. Are we making the choice to ensure that every child has the food they need to thrive? Can parents and caregivers focus on raising their children and taking care of their loved ones, not facing the toxic stress that comes from not having enough to eat? Are we honoring those who have served our country?  

And, does our budget bring us closer to a nation free from hunger? The House’s FY 2027 Agriculture Appropriations bill certainly does not. The Senate can and must do better.