Elizabeth Warren warns of “food insecurity crisis” from SNAP cuts and higher prices

October 22, 2026 / 9:48 AM EDT / CBS News

Americans are facing a "food insecurity crisis" after shouldering an additional $22 billion in food costs due to rising inflation and billions of dollars in food-stamp cuts, according to Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

In an Oct. 21 letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the Massachusetts Democrat said that the combination of rising food prices and cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has created a "one-two punch" for millions of households.

Warren also asked the USDA to work with lawmakers to reverse food-stamp policies that have resulted in 5.2 million people losing SNAP benefits since July 2025.

SNAP enrollment, now at its lowest level since 2019, could shrink in the coming months as additional changes to the program take effect, according to anti-hunger experts. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a tax and spending law signed into law by President Trump in 2025, expanded SNAP's work requirements and shifted more of the program's costs onto states. Those changes have created new hurdles for enrollment, according to experts.

The USDA halted its annual study on food insecurity in 2025, saying at the time that the report was "redundant…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/