USDA Cuts Threaten School Meals for Millions Nationwide

Recent budget cuts proposed by Congress are set to affect various food assistance programs across the United States, impacting millions of residents. In Florida, the House Agriculture Committee's plan to cut $230 billion from SNAP could lead to significant revenue shortfalls, affecting 2.9 million residents reliant on federal assistance (Orlando Sentinel). Similarly, New Jersey's school lunches and food banks face a $1 billion cut from the Department of Agriculture, which could harm local farmers and increase child hunger (PIX11). Additionally, the end of transitional protections for families moving from legacy benefits to universal credit in the UK could result in a million children losing free school meals over the next five years (Daily Mail). In Guam, potential federal cuts to school meal programs threaten the nutrition of 24,000 students who rely on them as their main food source (The Guam Daily Post). Various stakeholders, including nonprofits and government representatives, are urging for policy reconsiderations to mitigate these impacts.