Trump's 'great beautiful law' cuts food aid for millions of Americans
Translated from Finnish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- A new report indicates that a "great beautiful law" signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump has led to over 1.5 million American children losing access to food assistance programs in less than a year.
- Overall, the number of people receiving SNAP benefits has decreased by approximately 5 million, from 42 million to 37 million, between July of the previous year and April of this year.
- The law, passed by Republicans and opposed by Democrats, reduced federal contributions to SNAP, shifting more of the cost to states and potentially increasing poverty and food insecurity.
A "great beautiful law" enacted by former U.S. President Donald Trump has resulted in millions of Americans, including over 1.5 million children, losing access to crucial food assistance within a year, according to a report from the non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
The number of people receiving food aid has fallen by about five million people from 42 million to 37 million between July last year and April this year, according to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, which administers the SNAP program.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, has seen a significant decline in recipients. Between July of last year and April of this year, the total number of individuals receiving aid dropped by approximately 5 million, from 42 million down to 37 million. This reduction has affected nearly every state, with Alaska being the only exception. The CBPP noted that such a large percentage decrease in the program has not been seen in three decades.
The law, championed by Republicans and signed by Trump, was part of broader fiscal changes that included tax cuts and reductions in various federal programs. No Democratic representatives supported the legislation. The White House stated at the time that Senate Democrats voted against lower taxes, higher wages, and national security.
The number of food aid recipients has dropped in every state except Alaska.
Under the new law, the federal government's share of SNAP program costs was reduced from 50% to 25%. This shift has placed considerable budget pressure on states and threatens to exclude more people from receiving food aid. The CBPP had previously projected that these cuts would lead to increased poverty, food insecurity, and hunger, particularly among children. The largest drop in SNAP recipients occurred in Arizona, where the number of beneficiaries decreased by 53%, or 450,000 people.
These cuts will increase poverty, food insecurity, and hunger, including among children.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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