USDA Plan Would Cut Food Stamps for 6.3 Million Americans

The Trump administration has proposed a rule that would remove food assistance from about 6.3 million Americans, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said this week, in the latest and largest single tightening of the nation's biggest anti-hunger program. The proposal, published Tuesday in the Federal Register, would end a long-standing pathway that lets states enroll households in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program automatically — a change the department estimates would cut $44.65 billion in federal spending over five years.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington, D.C. The department published the proposed rule on Tuesday. (American Farm Bureau Federation photo)

What the Proposal Would Change

At the center of the proposal is a policy known as broad-based categorical eligibility, a provision that has allowed states to enroll households in SNAP — commonly known as food stamps — without a separate income or resource review, as long as all household members receive some benefit funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant.

Under the proposed rule, that automatic eligibility would be narrowed sharply. Only households receiving cash assistance through TANF would still qualify automatically. Households that qualify today through non-cash or nominal TANF-funded services — things like child care help, workforce training, or even informational pamphlets and referrals — would no longer be swept into the program automatically, according to the proposal and reporting on it.

The department says the change would close what it calls a loophole that has let households with incomes or savings above the federal limits qualify for food aid. Forty-six states currently use broad-based categorical eligibility, according to the proposal, and 37 of them set gross income limits above the federal SNAP threshold of 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden signed the rule, the department said, and the public has 30 days — through December 10 — to submit comments before the department decides whether to revise or finalize it. Comments can be filed at regulations.gov under docket number FNA-2026-0661.

A shopper holds a SNAP EBT card in a grocery store. The proposed rule would end automatic eligibility for millions of recipients.

Who Would Be Affected

The USDA's own analysis, included in the proposed rule, estimates that about 6.3 million people in roughly 3.2 million households would lose benefits once the change is fully in effect in fiscal year 2029. That is nearly 18 percent of current SNAP recipients, according to the agency's figures cited by Reuters.

The effects would reach beyond the adults who use the benefits directly. According to reports on the proposal, about 1.8 million children could lose automatic eligibility for free school lunches, because school meal eligibility is tied in many cases to a household's SNAP enrollment. Critics of the proposal have also warned it could affect participation in Summer EBT and the WIC nutrition program for women, infants and children.

The proposal lands on top of cuts already in motion. More than 5.5 million people have already lost SNAP benefits since President Donald Trump enacted cuts to the program in his July 2025 tax law, bringing enrollment to about 36 million people, according to USDA data cited by Reuters. Participation has fallen by about 5 percent as a result of that law, which also tightened work requirements.

The Administration's Case

The administration argues the change would make SNAP eligibility more standardized across the country and, in the rule's own words, "preserve benefits for the truly needy." Officials have framed the current system as one states have used to push eligibility well beyond the limits Congress set, pointing to states that raised income thresholds above the federal standard through the categorical eligibility pathway.

The department also cites concerns about waste and fraud in the program. The proposal is the latest in a series of administration moves to curb SNAP spending, following the July 2025 law and a high-profile anti-fraud enforcement push that the Justice Department and USDA unveiled in October, when Vice President JD Vance announced criminal charges in a $42 million food stamp fraud case.

Supporters of tighter eligibility say the program grew too large and too loose, and that returning to stricter income and asset tests restores the program to its intended purpose: a safety net for the poorest households, not a broader benefit.

Critics Push Back

Democrats and anti-hunger advocates moved quickly to condemn the proposal. Representative Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, said the rule would "eliminate broad-based categorical eligibility" and warned it could cut food assistance for families who qualify through TANF or similar state programs, while also raising administrative costs for states.

Advocates argue that categorical eligibility was designed to do exactly what its name suggests: simplify enrollment, reduce paperwork for both families and states, and catch households that are poor enough to need help but might trip over an asset test because they own an old car or have a small amount of savings. They note that the households affected are, by definition, already connected to state assistance programs.

Food banks and state administrators have also warned of practical consequences. States would need to re-verify income and assets for millions of households, a process that could create backlogs and errors, and some eligible families could lose benefits simply because they fail to complete the new paperwork in time.

What This Means

The proposal is, in effect, a test of how far the administration can go in reshaping the American safety net through regulation rather than legislation. The July 2025 tax law already cut SNAP spending by statute; this rule would use the department's rulemaking power to go further, targeting a state flexibility that has existed for decades and that nearly every state has adopted.

For the roughly 36 million Americans still on SNAP, the message is that the program will keep shrinking — and that the cuts will increasingly fall on working-poor households whose incomes sit just above the federal poverty line, the group categorical eligibility was built to include. For state governments, the rule would mean more administrative work and less discretion over who qualifies.

The politics are pointed as well. The proposal comes a week after midterm elections that cost Republicans their majorities in Congress, and Democrats, who take control of the House in January, have already signaled they will scrutinize the administration's actions. The rule could become an early flashpoint in that new oversight fight.

Students at a school cafeteria serving counter. Reports say about 1.8 million children could lose eligibility for free school lunches under the proposal.

What Happens Next

Nothing changes immediately. The proposal is not a final rule, and no one's benefits are affected today. The public comment period runs for 30 days, through December 10, and the department must review the comments before deciding whether to finalize, revise, or withdraw the measure.

If it is finalized as proposed, the change would take full effect in fiscal year 2029, giving states time to adjust their systems — but also giving opponents time to challenge it. Previous efforts to restrict categorical eligibility have drawn lawsuits, and advocacy groups are already preparing legal challenges if the rule moves forward.

Congress could also intervene. Democrats taking control of the House in January could use oversight hearings or legislation to block or reverse the change, though any bill would still need to pass the Republican-controlled Senate and survive a presidential veto. For now, the fight will play out first in the comment docket — and then, most likely, in court.