Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
202-640-1118
Statement attributable to Crystal FitzSimons, president, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
WASHINGTON, January 16, 2026 — We cannot focus on farmers without focusing on the families they feed.
It is extremely disappointing that the farm proposal from Republican leaders on the Senate Agriculture Committee for inclusion in the appropriations bill fails to include investments in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), our nation’s first line of defense against hunger and a critical support for both farmers and families.
With grocery prices continuing to rise, tens of millions of Americans who rely on SNAP are increasingly struggling to put food on the table, and it will only get worse amid the historic and devasting cuts to SNAP in H.R. 1. Farmers are already projected to lose $24 billion over the next decade due to cuts to SNAP, undermining rural economies and weakening the very markets that agricultural producers rely on.
In addition to failing to prioritize the health and well-being of SNAP participants- the majority of whom are children, older adults, and people with disabilities – this proposal ignores bi-partisan warnings of governors, state and local legislators, and school leaders about the harm of the SNAP administrative and benefit cost-shifts to states, which will force states to choose between providing critical food assistance or other vital services, or opting out of the program altogether. (See table detailing state-by-state numbers on the economic strain the cost-shifts will have on all states.)
Compounding the problem, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s reduced technical assistance and rushed implementation timelines will increase error rates by failing to give states adequate time and support for implementation. States are now being penalized for administrative instability, caused by federal decisions beyond their control.
This is unacceptable. Congress must do better to ensure that farmers, families, our communities, and our economy can thrive. This starts with mitigating the harm of the SNAP cuts in H.R. 1 – now.
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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.