Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
202-640-1118
Statement attributable to Crystal FitzSimons, president, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
WASHINGTON, August 12, 2025 — The report released yesterday by the independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) underscores the devastating consequences of the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) included in the recently passed budget reconciliation package. These cuts are a direct assault on the dignity, health, and well-being of millions of Americans struggling to put food on the table.
According to the CBO’s nonpartisan analysis, reductions to SNAP will significantly shrink access to food assistance, disproportionately harming children, older adults, people with disabilities, and working families already doing everything they can to make ends meet. The report projects that millions will see reduced benefits or lose access to SNAP entirely — translating into empty cupboards, missed meals, and impossible choices between food, rent, and medicine.
One of the most harmful provisions is the expansion of SNAP time limits, which will force 2.4 million people to lose benefits if they cannot meet a 20-hour-per-week paid work requirement. Those impacted include adults up to age 65, parents, grandparents, and caregivers of children age 14 or older, veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, including homeless families with children 14 or older, and former foster youth. Losing food assistance does not reduce a household’s need for food; it simply increases hardship. Research consistently shows that time limits do not increase employment.
The package also requires states to implement new provisions to reduce SNAP benefits by excluding internet expenses from allowable housing cost deductions and eliminating automatic access to the Standard Utility Allowance for households receiving energy assistance unless they include an older adult or a person with disability.
These changes significantly increase administrative costs at a time when states are already stretched thin trying to implement multiple program changes. The added complexity is burdensome, requiring extensive staff time and resources — diverting attention away from efforts to improve efficiency and reduce error rates.
The CBO also highlights the harmful impact of the new cost-sharing requirement that shifts responsibility to states based on error rates. It is estimated that states will be required to contribute approximately $35 billion toward SNAP benefits. While some states may attempt to preserve program participation, others are expected to restrict eligibility or exit the program altogether. These changes will also impact the child nutrition programs. The CBO estimated that, in an average month, subsidies provided through the child nutrition programs will decrease for about 96,000 children, cutting the child nutrition programs by $170 million.
SNAP is the most effective anti-hunger program in the country and helps lift people out of poverty. It not only alleviates hunger but also stimulates local economies, supports educational outcomes for children, and reduces long-term health care costs. Cutting this lifeline under the guise of reform is not just misguided — it is morally indefensible and economically shortsighted.
The budget reconciliation package signed into law stigmatizes people with low incomes while delivering new tax breaks to billionaires. The CBO report should be a wake-up call – not only to Congress – but also to state, county and municipal governments that will soon be responsible for paying a portion of SNAP benefits. In the coming months, Congress must reverse cuts to SNAP and prioritize building a nation free from hunger.
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The Food Research & Action Center 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.
