Chairman Boozman’s Farm Bill Fails to Reverse SNAP Cuts,Exacerbates Hunger Crisis in the Nation’s Capital

Media Contact:

Colleen Barton
cbarton@frac.org
703-203-7843

Statement attributable to LaMonika Jones, director, D.C. Hunger Solutions

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2026 – Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-AR) released a Farm Bill discussion draft this week that ignores the needs of thousands of District of Columbia residents, including children, older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, and working families struggling to keep food on the table. D.C. Hunger Solutions is deeply concerned that the proposal does nothing to reverse the unprecedented $187 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enacted under the budget reconciliation law, H.R. 1. The law’s SNAP benefit and administrative cost shift to the District will force our policymakers to make difficult decisions about funding for food assistance, education, health care, infrastructure, and other critical services that residents depend on daily. With a SNAP payment error rate of 18.66 percent in fiscal year 2025, Washington, D.C. could face some of the steepest financial penalties under the new benefit cost-sharing structure, further increasing pressure on local budgets already stretched by rising administrative costs.  Since H.R. 1 took effect, an estimated 17,000 SNAP participants are at risk of losing access to SNAP under new policy changes in H.R. 1. For families with children, the possible loss of SNAP benefits often means losing automatic eligibility for free school meals and SUN Bucks, increasing the risk of childhood hunger. Many District households are already facing impossible choices between paying rent, purchasing groceries, and paying for gas. The law’s expansion of SNAP time limits, restrictions on future benefit increases, and cost shifts to our local government also threaten the stability of families and communities across the city. A strong Farm Bill should recognize that supporting agriculture and ensuring families can afford food are inseparable goals. Unfortunately, Chairman Boozman’s proposal does not restore lost benefits, reverse harmful SNAP policy changes, or strengthen the federal commitment to helping families meet their basic needs amid continued economic uncertainty. District residents understand the value of SNAP. The program is the nation’s most effective tool for reducing hunger, improving health outcomes, supporting children’s development, and helping families weather financial hardship. It also strengthens local economies by allowing families to spend food dollars at neighborhood grocery stores, markets, and small businesses.  We urge Chairman Boozman and members of the Senate Agriculture Committee to advance a Farm Bill that protects and strengthens SNAP, reverses harmful cost shifts to states and the District, and ensures that no child, family, or older adult goes hungry because of federal policy decisions.

###

D.C. Hunger Solutions, an initiative of the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), is dedicated to ending hunger and improving nutrition, health, and economic security for low-income residents of Washington, D.C. The organization works to strengthen nutrition programs, advance public policies, and educate the public about hunger and its solutions.