
The Trump Administration has made children a political target, which is not only immoral, it’s costly for the future of our nation.
Republicans in the House and Senate are proposing to slash more than $230 billion from SNAP and school nutrition programs in order to fund more tax handouts for the wealthy and billion-dollar corporations. But it’s far from a done deal.
SNAP is not only our most effective anti-hunger program, it plays a crucial role in reducing poverty and improving health and economic outcomes. It’s also linked to better education outcomes and self-sufficiency, and plays an important role in supporting rural communities.
SNAP is one of the most cost-effective government programs in existence. Every dollar spent on SNAP generates $1.80 in local communities. Cuts to SNAP and school nutrition programs will have devastating consequences for generations to come.
Individual states currently pay a portion of the cost of administering SNAP, while the federal government pays the actual benefits. Implementing a $230 billion cut could force states to take on a portion of the cost of nutrition benefits for the first time, a radical change in the program that could lead to drastic cuts, increasing wait times for approval for benefits, or put a huge squeeze on states leading to slashed investments in other programs.
Cutting SNAP (and Medicaid, another right-wing target) also makes it harder for eligible families to obtain free or reduced-price school meals, summer food assistance for school-aged children (Summer EBT), and WIC benefits. School meal programs and Summer EBT automatically enroll eligible children using SNAP and Medicaid, while WIC agencies use automated systems to check for SNAP or Medicaid eligibility. In addition, the House Budget Committee has put forth numerous specific budget-cutting proposals, including a $12 billion cut to free school breakfast and lunch programs, affecting 24,000 schools nationwide.
Cutting funding for nutrition programs in order to pay for some of Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax handout―mostly to the wealthy and corporations―is an abomination.
The Trump Administration has made children a political target, which is not only immoral, it’s costly for the future of our nation.
We are America’s essential workers. We keep the nation running, even with a very low minimum wage. Americans need us more than they need to watch another billionaire buy another yacht.
Every two years, the Coalition on Human Needs enlists expert staff from its member organizations to update its Public Policy Priorities, assembling a comprehensive set of policies aimed at ensuring that people can meet their basic needs and move forward as they choose.
Eliminating Direct File, the new and free digital tax-filing tool from the IRS, is literally taking money out of people’s pockets. Trump’s decision is a slap in the face to millions of hardworking people.
CHN sent the letter below on April 9, 2025 to the U.S. House of Representatives asking Members to vote “No” on H.R. 22, the SAVE Act.
It’s time for the U.S. to join the rest of the world’s democracies and invest in families by recognizing parental leave as a federally mandated human right.
“I know how it feels to be hungry and homeless. If the GOP budget passes as written, so will millions more.” Jocelyn Smith shared her point.
On February 2, 2025, the U.S. government delivered a devastating blow to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants by abruptly ending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program that had shielded them from deportation and granted them work authorization.
Blog post by NILC, CHN’s member | This explainer describes how a reconciliation bill will unlock the Trump administration’s ability to experiment with authoritarian tactics through enforcement, threatening constitutional rights and democratic norms.
CHN sent this letter to all Senators, asking them to reject the budget resolution which will pave the way for deep cuts to food assistance and health care, turbocharge family separation and mass deportation, and set the stage for huge tax breaks that benefit the wealthy.
Blog post by CBPP- CHN’s member | The House budget resolution calls for massive cuts in Medicaid and in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that would raise the cost of health care and groceries for people struggling to make ends meet.
Blog post by the Southern Poverty Law Center, CHN’s member | There are days when Andrew Sanders walks miles for a hot meal from a soup kitchen. “It hurts like hell,” he said. “I’m dying for something to eat.”