The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture today will mark up legislation to reauthorize the farm bill, which includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) and other critical nutrition initiatives. The American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, issued the following statement in response:
"Families across the country are already feeling the impact of losing food assistance as a result of sharp cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Congress should be focused on strengthening nutrition security and helping people afford healthy food. Instead, the Senate Agriculture Committee is primed to advance legislation that ignores what's happening in communities nationwide and risks pushing even more families into nutrition and food insecurity.
"The consequences of recent SNAP cuts are no longer theoretical. show participation dropped by more than 4.5 million people, an 11 percent decline, between July 2025 and April 2026. Behind those numbers are real people, many of whom are children, who no longer have the food assistance they need. Rather than addressing those challenges, this bill moves in the wrong direction.
"No one should lose access to healthy food because their state is being forced to absorb costs it is not prepared for. With states facing financial obligations under SNAP that are not sustainable, families are paying the price. At a time when healthy food is already out of reach for too many people, Congress should be restoring and strengthening food assistance, not making it harder for families to put nutritious meals on the table.
"Food and nutrition security are essential drivers of health. SNAP helps families afford nutritious food, supports healthy development in children, leads to better health outcomes and strengthens local economies. When people can consistently access healthy food, communities are healthier and more resilient. That's why Congress should be focused on expanding and modernizing this program, not adding new barriers for eligible families or shifting new financial burdens onto states.
"The American Heart Association urges members of the Senate Agriculture Committee to vote 'no' on the farm bill under consideration this morning and asks lawmakers to reject any farm bill that fails to restore the SNAP cuts enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Congress should advance policies that advance nutrition security, expand access to healthy foods and support the health and well-being of people in every community."
Additional resources
- American Heart Association resource: Farm Bill Policy Statement
- American Heart Association resource: Farm Bill Fact Sheet
