Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
980-290-7282
Statement attributable to Crystal FitzSimons, president, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
WASHINGTON, September 16, 2026 — The Food Research & Action Center is dismayed that the Senate Agriculture Committee failed to heed the warnings of anti-hunger groups, the health and disability communities, state and local groups, and many others, and instead advanced Chair John Boozman’s (R-AR) Farm Bill out of committee along party lines, after it failed to pass out of committee in August. The bill fails to address the harmful cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) included in the budget reconciliation law, H.R. 1, neglecting the needs of millions of families who are struggling to keep food on the table as costs continue to rise.
The bill’s one-year delay in SNAP benefit cost-sharing fails to address the underlying cause of payment error rates or provide the investments states need to mitigate them. It also fails to ensure parity, allowing states with the highest historical payment error rates to retain a two-year delay while the rest only get one year. In addition, the bill does nothing to address the increase in states’ share of administrative costs, which are projected to climb to approximately $3.4 billion annually. Together, these cost shifts will make it difficult for states to continue providing food assistance while maintaining other critical human needs services.
Nearly 5.5 million people, many of whom are children, have lost access to SNAP since H.R. 1 was enacted. When families lose SNAP, children also may lose free school meals and other critical nutrition programs, making them hungry at home and at school.
We urge Senators to speak out against this flawed Farm Bill and to stop it from advancing to the floor for a vote. Congress must use any other legislative vehicle to reverse the SNAP cuts and address the cost shifts to states to provide meaningful assistance to both families and farmers.
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The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) 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.