Food insecurity is one of the major drivers of poor health outcomes in the U.S., making the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) indispensable. Research shows that hunger is the most damaging health consequence of poverty, contributing to chronic disease, impairing child development, and adding billions in avoidable health care costs each year.
The bottom line: Based on what we know now, WIC can remain operational during a short-term shutdown if steps are taken to support the program. Stakeholders should look to their WIC agencies for official updates on operations.
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission recently released its Make Our Children Healthy Again strategy. While the document includes 128 recommendations across 20 pages, it misses a critical opportunity to improve child health. It does not focus on expanding access to the federal nutrition programs as a key strategy to improve child health and address hunger and food insecurity — a problem that affects nearly 14 million children in the U.S.
The bottom line: SNAP recipients should receive their October 2025 payments, even if a government shutdown occurs.
Food insecurity is one of the strongest drivers of poor health outcomes in the U.S., which is why the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is vital. Research shows that hunger, not individual food choices, is the most damaging health consequence of poverty, contributing to chronic disease, poor child development, and billions in avoidable health care costs each year.