United States Sen. Chris Murphy issued a warning that President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" will create a food crisis for children across the country.
On Monday, Murphy said that there will be tens of millions of kids who will get less food because the average SNAP benefit will become much lower for families across the nation. His warning comes as lawmakers and advocates argue that children who go hungry have a harder time concentrating on assignments and homework.
Food Crisis for Kids
The former U.S. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, added that it is impossible to create a strong education system if the foundation in education is weak. SNAP benefits allow students to automatically enroll in free school meals without having to fill out an application to qualify.
The possibility of losing access to a program such as SNAP could result in a student no longer being directly certified in the school meals program. They will then be forced to fill out paperwork to see if they are eligible for the programs, according to CT Mirror.
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School districts in higher poverty areas can qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which is a federal program that lets a school offer free meals to all enrolled students. In the prior school year, dozens of school districts in Connecticut were approved for a universal free school meals program under the provision.
Now, because of the changes to SNAP under Trump's new federal law, some of these universal school meal programs could face higher costs and lose access to the CEP. The situation could affect roughly 18 million students across the United States.
The Big Beautiful Bill
Trump's new tax bill, which was overwhelmingly voted to pass by Republican lawmakers, slashes food assistance benefits by roughly $186 billion over the next decade. This is the largest cut in the history of the U.S., Time reported.
The cuts will cost schools more than they could afford, in a time when they are already struggling with tighter budgets and substantial Republican-led Medicaid cuts. A warning by 23 governors claims that the cuts will result in millions of Americans losing vital food assistance.
The changes in Trump's new law can remove recipients from SNAP if they are unable to demonstrate that they are working enough hours. Many parents find it difficult to work the minimum 20 hours per week while taking care of their children, which puts their benefits at risk, as per the American Progress.
