More than a million children have lost access to federal food assistance since Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer, according to a new analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The research examined Snap enrollment across 19 states from July 2025 through March 2026 and found that over 4 million Americans total were removed from the program following the legislation's enactment. The law tightened eligibility requirements and imposed new screening standards that shifted a substantial portion of program costs to states based on their payment error rates.
Arizona experienced the steepest decline. State data through May shows more than 450,000 residents lost Snap benefits, effectively cutting the state's overall participation rate in half.
The pain fell heavily on children in specific regions. Louisiana saw nearly one in four child recipients removed from assistance. Massachusetts and Texas each lost close to one-fifth of their enrolled child population.
Snap, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, remains the nation's largest federal food assistance initiative, providing monthly grocery benefits to low-income households. The sharp decline in participation under the new rules has alarmed both Democratic lawmakers and city officials nationwide.
Representative Ilhan Omar introduced a House amendment designed to reverse the cuts, but the Republican majority rejected it. Meanwhile, the US Conference of Mayors took action Monday, with more than 200 mayors signing a letter to the Senate urging lawmakers to undo the program reductions. The mayors characterized the situation as a deepening food security crisis and stressed that Snap remains an essential anti-poverty tool that stabilizes economies during downturns.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warned that conditions will worsen without immediate congressional intervention. The organization issued a statement calling for lawmakers to act before the cost-shift mechanism expands to all states, saying the measure could cut off millions more children from nutrition assistance their families depend on for affordable food.
Author James Rodriguez: "These numbers show real families getting caught in policy crossfire, and the mayors' letter signals bipartisan frustration on the ground even if Congress won't listen."
Comments