Rolling Stone: The Food Stamp Shutdown Wasn't a Surprise. It Was the GOP's Plan [View all]

The Food Stamp Shutdown Wasn’t a Surprise. It Was the GOP’s Plan

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/snap-shutdown-cutting-food-stamps-gop-plan-1235457985/

On November 1, millions of families who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) were set to lose their food benefits, leaving parents who plan meals down to the dollar to stare at empty grocery carts.. A federal judge on Friday issued a temporary restraining order blocking the administration from suspending food aid, noting the “terror” it has caused families, who will continue to live in fear of losing their benefits under President Donald Trump’s administration.

This moment was built, brick by brick, into Republican policy. The so-called Big Beautiful Bill, passed earlier this year, was hailed by Republicans as a model of fiscal responsibility. In reality, it was a Trojan horse packed with provisions designed to quietly sabotage SNAP, one of the most effective anti-poverty programs in the nation.

For decades, the USDA has adjusted the Thrifty Food Plan — the formula that determines SNAP benefit levels — to reflect what it actually costs to eat. In 2021, after years of stagnation, the USDA finally modernized the plan, raising benefits by $1.40 per person per day. That small increase helped families keep up with rising grocery costs and better align benefits with real nutrition needs.

Trump and the GOP’s new law stopped that progress cold. It restricts USDA updates to once every five years and demands that any future change be cost-neutral. Translation: no more benefit increases, even if food prices skyrocket. As inflation drives grocery bills higher, SNAP recipients will see their purchasing power erode year after year. The result is institutionalized hunger.