At first, House Republicans announced they were seeking $50 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next 10 years, which alone would be devastating to the people and families who participate in SNAP. Now, they have increased that target to cut $150 billion at a time when hunger and grocery prices are increasing. They are putting this plan together now and may have something in the next few weeks. It is critical that we reach out now to push back against all cuts to SNAP.
In a move that threatens to undo significant strides made toward racial and social equity, President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order titled Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing. Among other actions, this order calls for the removal of equity action plans across federal agencies, specifically targeting former Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. Trump’s order criticizes these diversity, equity, and inclusion plans, labeling them as “immense public waste and shameful discrimination.” However, the reality of these efforts is far from what the executive order suggests.
The House Ways and Means Committee has proposed $12 billion in cuts to school breakfast and lunch for inclusion in an upcoming Reconciliation Bill. The proposals would dramatically reduce the number of schools able to offer free meals to all their students and impose significant and burdensome school meal paperwork requirements that would limit access to free and reduced-price school meals in non-Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools.