WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — House Agriculture Committee Democrats are renewing calls for congressional action on food assistance and farm policy, warning that proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and ongoing trade disruptions could harm both farmers and low-income families.
At a January press event, Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN) and other committee Democrats unveiled the framework of the Farm and Family Relief Act, legislation they say is designed to ease financial pressure on family farmers while protecting access to food assistance. Democrats argue that tariffs and trade uncertainty have contributed to significant losses in farm income, while recent SNAP policy changes risk shifting costs to states and reducing benefits for vulnerable populations.
“Americans know that life is simply more expensive today than when President Trump took office last year,” Craig said. “Family farmers have been bankrupted by Trump’s ill-conceived trade wars, and state governments are facing the terrifying reality that they may need to let millions of residents go hungry because of his heartless cuts to food assistance. The Farm and Family Relief Act doesn’t pick winners and losers. It helps all Americans by reigning in the tariffs that have increased our cost of living, giving states breathing room to adapt to shifting SNAP rules, and providing an economic lifeline to farmers so they can continue to feed our nation and the world. Unlike the Trump administration, which loves to pick winners and losers, the Farm and Family Relief Act has provisions that help all Americans – and only as a package can we deliver true relief to the American people.”
Those concerns are echoed in a new analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), which warns that a pending SNAP cost-sharing requirement would, for the first time, force states to pay a portion of food benefit costs beginning in 2027. The policy ties state costs to payment error rates, a move CBPP says could saddle many states with hundreds of millions of dollars in new expenses each year.
According to the report, states facing higher costs could be forced to cut SNAP benefits, limit eligibility, or divert funding from other essential services. CBPP is urging Congress to delay the cost shift, citing administrative challenges, disruptions from the recent government shutdown, and reduced federal support for SNAP operations.
Democrats say the Farm and Family Relief Act would provide flexibility for states, protect food assistance for children, seniors, and veterans, and help stabilize rural communities amid economic strain. Without action, they warn, both producers and consumers could feel the impact through higher costs and reduced access to food.
