On Monday, June 23, the House Appropriations Committee voted to approve the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill. This bill includes insufficient funding for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and reduces the highly popular WIC cash value benefit (CVB) used for purchasing fruit and vegetables by 10 percent.
The Senate-passed budget reconciliation bill is now headed back to the House, where a final vote is expected today or tomorrow. Although the Senate version costs slightly less overall, its provisions are more punitive and far-reaching in their harm. Most of the bill’s core provisions remain unchanged. The few amendments made — largely to comply with parliamentary rules or secure enough Republican votes — further underscore the bill’s inequities. Below is an overview of the most consequential changes. A full side-by-side comparison of the House and Senate versions can be found [here].
As the budget reconciliation process advances, Senate Democrats and a growing number of state leaders continue to raise the alarm about the devastating impacts of the proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Advocates have been working nonstop, warning lawmakers, especially Republicans who are leading this bill, of the unprecedented shift and dire consequences this bill would cause.
