The Constitution gives Congress the “power of the purse.” How Congress chooses to spend our resources demonstrates 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.
Annually, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issues a report on the characteristics of households and individuals participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The most recent report released in May provides details about fiscal year 2024 program participants — critical insights for lawmakers, advocates, and stakeholders., to push back against false, harmful narratives that have been perpetuated about individuals and households SNAP.
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released new data from the Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS), covering various topics including employment, food sufficiency, health insurance, and housing. It offers an important glimpse into the growing challenges many households face in accessing enough food. The June 2025 HTOPS data arrives at a particularly pivotal moment as policymakers debate major changes to federal nutrition programs and federal investments in anti-hunger efforts. The survey, formerly known as the Household Pulse Survey, began during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2024, transitioned into a longitudinal design where it surveyed the same people/households over time to observe changes and included new topics to allow for flexible exploration of new issues.