Working to End Hunger in America

On July 4th, President Trump signed the budget reconciliation package, H.R. 1, into law. This law makes sweeping cuts to nutrition and health care support for millions of people to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the most effective tools the U.S. has to reduce hunger and support households with low incomes. Nowhere is this impact more critical than in rural America, where food insecurity, economic stagnation, and limited access to services intersect to create deep vulnerability. Yet, provisions in the recently enacted budget reconciliation law (H.R. 1, also known as OBBBA) — passed by a majority of Republicans in Congress and signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025 — undermine this vital program, hitting rural communities hardest, economically, socially, and physically.

Food insecurity takes a toll on maternal, infant, and child health.

In 2023, 47.4 million people — including 13.8 million children — lived in food-insecure households.

Food insecurity is linked to poor health and development and is associated with some of the most common and costly health problems in the U.S. For adults and pregnant women, its linked to fair or poor health status, pregnancy complications (e.g., gestational diabetes, iron deficiency), and depression (including maternal depression). For infants and children, food insecurity is especially detrimental to health, development, and well-being, with links to low birth weight, birth defects, more frequent colds and stomachaches, development risk, increased hospitalizations, and more.