Trump’s USDA could cut off food stamps to millions more Americans

​The Agriculture Department could be set to cut food stamps for millions more households.​The change, slated to come into full effect in 2029, will affect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program which has been targeted previously by the Trump administration in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.​Reforming SNAP to end “broad-based categorical eligibility” has long been a goal for the Republican Party and was even featured in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 plan, which laid out policy proposals for President Trump’s second term.​A notice scheduled to be published in the Federal Register Tuesday says the Trump administration plans to propose limiting states’ ability to authorize residents to take part in SNAP if they are qualified for other assistance programs.​According to USDA, that change could affect 6.3 million people and 3.2 million households by the fiscal year of 2029.The US Department of Agriculture has proposed a plan to cut food stamps for millions more households (AFP/Getty)“Broad-based categorical eligibility has bloated the welfare rolls for decades,” a USDA spokesperson told POLITICO. “It has allowed States to take shortcuts, error rates to balloon, and those with income and assets far above federal limits access to a benefit meant for the neediest among us. Correcting this loophole is long overdue.”The USDA notice estimates the proposal could cut SNAP spending by around $44.649 billion across a five-year period, from 2027 to 2031. Around 17.6 percent of SNAP participants would lose their benefits in the process.SNAP dates back to May 1939 when it was implemented as the Food Stamp Program. It was later made permanent by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, before being renamed as SNAP in 2008.President Trump previously cut SNAP benefits when he signed the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (AFP/Getty)The program was targeted during Trump’s first administration, which saw an attempt to curb parts of SNAP before Biden’s administration reversed the proposal.The Trump administration successfully enacted cuts to SNAP in 2025, with up to 5 million people losing access to SNAP following the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.The OBBBA expanded work requirements for SNAP benefits and transferred some of the responsibilities for costs to states. The bill also slashed other areas of the federal budget, including a 12 percent cut to Medicaid spending.The Independent has contacted the USDA for comment.