Warren warns of "food insecurity crisis" from SNAP cuts and prices
Americans are facing a "food insecurity crisis" after shouldering an additional $22 billion in food costs due to rising inflation and billions of dollars in food-stamp cuts, according to Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
In an Oct. 21 letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Warren said that the combination of rising food prices and cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has created a "one-two punch" for millions of households.
Warren also asked the USDA to work with lawmakers to reverse food-stamp policies that have resulted in 5.2 million people losing SNAP benefits since July 2025. SNAP enrollment is now at its lowest level since 2019.
Policy Changes
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a tax and spending law signed into law by President Trump in 2025, expanded SNAP's work requirements and shifted more of the program's costs onto states. Those changes have created new hurdles for enrollment, according to experts.
SNAP enrollment could shrink further in coming months as additional changes to the program take effect. The USDA halted its annual study on food insecurity in 2025, calling the report "redundant, costly [and] politicized."
Growing Crisis
A May analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found "a remarkable increase in food insecurity, particularly among lower-educated and lower-income households and households with young children." The New York Fed found that 10% of U.S. families reported they didn't have enough food and that their children sometimes missed meals, more than double the 4% share in 2020.
Political Response
Warren also pointed to President Trump's tariffs as contributing to higher food prices. Higher import duties last year boosted U.S. inflation by about 2.9 percentage points through February, according to recent research from the New York Fed.
Some anti-hunger advocates and state organizations are now lobbying Congress to delay some of the OBBBA's changes to SNAP, including a rule that would require states with high payment error rates to absorb billions in additional costs starting in October 2027. The USDA serves as the primary federal regulator and rule-maker for SNAP, giving it some leeway in administering the program.
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