More than 1 million children lost access to food benefits after Trump bill passed

Key Points:

• Over 4 million Americans, including more than 1 million children, lost access to SNAP food benefits between July 2025 and March 2026 following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which tightened eligibility and increased state screening requirements.
• Arizona experienced the largest enrollment drop, with over 450,000 residents removed from SNAP, cutting participation in the state by half; other states like Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Texas also saw significant declines in child beneficiaries.
• The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) attributes the steep decline primarily to the 2025 Republican reconciliation law that shifted SNAP costs to states based on payment error rates, warning that the situation will worsen without congressional intervention.
• Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, and the US Conference of Mayors have called for reversing the SNAP cuts, emphasizing the program’s critical role in reducing poverty and food insecurity amid a growing national crisis.
• Despite calls for action, efforts to restore SNAP benefits have faced opposition in Congress, highlighting ongoing political divisions over addressing hunger and food assistance programs.